Nothing to Hide
by Winter22
Summary: The next installment in the "Lonesome No More" series: Bucky Barnes and Alexis Markos continue their lives as Avengers and as a romantic couple. This time, their story takes them out of the Avengers compound in New York and on a much different adventure. Instead of having the full team with them, they will only have each other and will need to lean on one another's powers.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello and greetings to all who are reading this!**

**Bucky and Alexis are back. (Hooray!) I couldn't stay away for long from these two, and in the past several weeks my mind has been churning out ideas that are exciting, naughty, and just plain FUN to write. As usual with my stories, this will be a plot heavy slow burn full of fluff, sex (some of it deliciously rough), angst, and adventure in a whole new setting. I'm trying a new setting for this story, and I hope it results in an enjoyable story for you all to read as much as it is for me to write.**

**I will try and update as often as possible, but I've got a lot of out-of-state trips coming up (for both work and play), so keep this in mind if I do not post very regularly. I will leave you with this little teaser of a prologue first, then begin posting chapters once the first few are written and I feel good about them.**

**NOTE: Please read "Lonesome No More" before reading this story, if you have not already. None of this will make any sense if you have not read that story first.**

**Thank you all for reading!**

* * *

"Hypothetically speaking, if you could go anywhere in the world for a week, where would you go?"

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere."

Alex thought Bucky's question over carefully. She lay cuddled against him in bed, her fingers idly playing along the waistband of his boxer briefs. They'd been lying together for some time, talking lightly while listening as large snowflakes pattered against the bedroom window. It was cozy and warm inside, which made the perfect abode to watch the beginnings of a snowstorm whipping up outside. Swirls of white danced along the windowpane, catching Alex's attention even though her mind was very much on the question her boyfriend just posed.

"I have to say, this is pretty random for..." She eyed the clock on the bedside table. "...almost midnight." Her gaze shifted upwards. "What gives?"

Bucky casually shrugged the shoulder her head lay against. His eyes had that playful, curious glint; the one that made their blue shade dance, even in the low light of the bedroom. "General curiosity, mostly." His smile appeared, as did his high-set dimples.

"You've been way more places than I have" Alex admitted, her fingers trailing upward from the waistband to the pane of muscle below his bellybutton.

"True, but none of those have very good memories attached to them."

Alex felt his large hand move from her hair down to her cheek, stroking softly. His touch was so tender and light that it made her sleepy. He had a way of coaxing her into a state of ridiculous comfort with just a brush of his hand. Maybe it was the roughness of his flesh hand against the smoothness of her own skin that made it desirable. Or maybe it was because Bucky could literally palm almost her whole face with how big his hands were, and yet, his touch was as light as a feather. She wondered just how many times she'd silently thanked the universe for all these little talents of his she'd grown to love over the months.

Looking up again, Alex's eyes warmed to the sight of him. "We need to change that."

"We _do_." Bucky's thumb grazed her bottom lip. "So... where would _we _go?"

Alex propped herself up on one hand, her other still draped lazily over his abs. She craved Bucky's closeness in these late hours, wanting his strong body snug around hers, his hands in her hair, his eyes gazing up at hers as they were now. "Somewhere warm, maybe?" She nodded towards the snowy conditions beyond the window with a smirk.

"Hmmm...with a beach?"

"Preferably a deserted beach."

"And you in a bikini all day in the sand?" The blue of his eyes flared. "I like that idea very much."

Alex pondered the idea of being alone on some exotic island beach where it was just her and Bucky and the breeze against their skin. Without a soul in the world to disturb them, they could swim and sun themselves and fuck all day if they wanted. She could almost see Bucky's naturally tan skin glistening in the sun, the salty air creating waves in his hair, the blue-gray shades of his eyes shining in the brightness of the sun.

"_Or_..." Alex walked her index and middle fingers up the center of Bucky's stomach, considering another alternative. "Maybe someplace cozy and private, like a cabin in the mountains?"

One of Bucky's eyebrows ticked upward. "Fireplace and all?"

"I'm not going unless there's a fireplace."

He let out a soft chuckle, watching Alex's fingers move up to his chest to draw lazy circles around his nipples. He inhaled deeply. "The picture I have in my mind is pretty romantic."

"Care to share?" she asked, her smile growing.

"I see us in a pretty nice cabin. Nothing beat up or small. Something with room enough for us to move around, with a big bedroom done in some woodsy looking theme." Bucky saw Alex start to laugh, which made his own smile appear as a reflex.

"This is very detailed, James."

"I'm not done yet" he told her, tapping her on the tip of her nose. "Downstairs in a fireplace...a big one. And a real one. With real wood."

"Oh it _has _to be real wood."

"Exactly. Not that kind you flip a switch to turn on."

Alex was loving this. She settled onto her side, her eyes never leaving Bucky's. They were so alive and animated as he talked about this make-believe cabin. He was so genuinely into what he was telling her that it made her wish she could see this place for real.

"Now, in front of this real fireplace is a big cushy white rug..."

Alex giggled. "Of course there is!"

Bucky cautioned her with a smirk. "Now, this isn't just any ordinary rug. This is a rug we're going to sleep on, totally naked, with only our body heat and the heat of the fireplace to warm us."

"Mmm...I like where this is going."

Rolling onto his side so he could face her, Bucky's expression brightened with mischief. "And on this rug...alongside your utterly _gorgeous _body..." He leaned in until his mouth was just a whisper away from hers and paused.

Alex glanced down at his perfect lips, wetting her own in anticipation. "Yes?"

His smirk grew devilish. "Will be two airplane tickets to a beach."

Alex exhaled a surprised laugh. "You are _such _a jerk!" She pushed him in the shoulder until Bucky fell onto his back, the laughter rolling from him as much as it was from Alex. She slid over his body, covering his with her smaller frame, their noses almost touching.

"So which is it going to be?" Alex asked him, settling comfortably onto his chest. "Beach or Chalet? Warm sand or a warm fireplace?"

Bucky cocked his his head, studying her expression. He wrapped his arms around her back, clasping them just above the curve of her bottom where the ends of her dark hair reached. He gave a playful little tug. "You tell me, princess."

Alex's smile grew. She leaned her head to the side, kissing along Bucky's jaw until she reached his ear. She whispered her choice, and Bucky raised his fist in celebration. "YES." He grabbed the sides of her face and kissed her, their laughter and smiles mixing.

The trip was on.


	2. Chapter 1

Alexis Markos sat on a chaise lounge facing the Pacific Ocean. A breeze played over her skin, ruffling through the ends of her damp hair. In her hand was a large glass full of a fruity, alcoholic beverage. She sipped the blended mixture through a straw as she gazed over the rim of her sunglasses, eyeing her boyfriend as he emerged from the rising and falling blanket of turquoise blue. Water streaked down his large frame, pulling at his swim trunks that now hung low on his hips. It gave Alex a view of the curve of his backside as it peeked out from above the band; two muscled rises she'd gripped so hard the night before, she left nail marks.

She took another long sip, smiling around the straw.

Her gaze never left the bulky frame of Bucky as he waded the rest of the way through the water and stepped onto the sand, his hands smoothing back his wet hair. The simple motion caused a domino effect of muscles to move in a way that hypnotized Alex, her eyes dragging from the bulge of bicep from his flesh arm to the dark silver plates of his bionic arm. His distinct gate - slightly lumbered and favored on one side - was something Alex had come to appreciate in the 6 months they'd been an official couple. It spoke of his strength, of his power, and of a horrible past that he was slowly but surely overcoming; a strength in and of itself.

Alex took another healthy sip of her drink as Bucky approached. "How was it?"

"Amazing." With a content sigh, Bucky lowered onto his lounge chair and stretched out his long legs, arms folding behind his head. "This might be the greatest idea we ever came up with."

Alex smiled. "I agree. I feel like I'm in heaven."

Bucky's head lolled to the side, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Same, love."

And he meant it. Ever since Tony gave the two of them permission to spend their vacation on his private island, Bucky tried to count the moments he felt grateful for in his life. They'd been on the island for only one full day, but his count was somewhere in the 200s at this point. The fact that Tony had trusted them to come here, for _him _to come here, meant a great deal. He and Tony had come a long way since Siberia.

Across from him, Alex leaned her head back against the chair. Judging by the lazy, happy smile that adorned her face, he imagined she just closed her eyes.

"Just think" she said, her voice distant and dreamy, "we have six more days of this ahead of us."

It was hard for Bucky to even imagine. He hadn't had six days off to do anything since Wakanda, and certainly nothing like he was doing right now. A tiny twinge of guilt tried its best to surface somewhere in his gut, but he ignored it. It was Annual Leave; granted to all the Avengers, and they were allowed to use it however they saw fit. No missions. No obligations. No on-call waiting. There was nothing that could tear them away from their getaway.

To both Bucky and Alex, this getaway wasn't just a week off work. It was their first real trip together, and was the first time they were making private memories of their own completely detached from anything related to their jobs. The moment he and Alex touched down, they promised one another they would turn their phones off and keep them off, unless they were using them for to take pictures. This trip was about them. Together as a couple, not as Avengers.

In that moment, Bucky regretted not having his phone with him for that reason. The way Alexis looked in the lounge chair was something he didn't want to forget, though he doubted his memory would allow it. The casual way she laid there, one leg bent at the knee and a coating of sand on her feet, her skin kissed by the sun. The swell of her breasts was accented by her white bikini; something Bucky didn't even know she owned.

Not that he'd have any reason to know she owned a bikini. It wasn't like they were taking exotic missions that allowed him the chance.

But knowing Alex like he did, Bucky imagined she chose this particular suit for the very reasons he'd seen all day: the small panel of fabric that barely covered her ample bottom, the tiny strings that hugged at the flesh of her hips and behind her neck, the way the fabric left very little to the imagination when completely wet. Alex didn't need anything to look sexy, but damn...the bikini was a good choice.

Bucky licked his lips, tasting salt as his gaze lowered to her hips, eyeing the two little strings begging to be set free by his hands.

He'd take care of that later.

As if reading his mind, Alex lifted her sunglasses onto her head. One of her dark brows rose in curiosity. "I can almost hear your thoughts, James."

Bucky often wondered if she could. Between all the emotional transfers they'd made together, he couldn't help but wonder if a part of her remained with him at all times.

"What am I thinking about then?" He folded his hands on his lap and waited, smirk growing.

Alex lifted the glass to her mouth. "I think you're thinking of tossing me in the ocean." She took a sip, ignoring the challenging way Bucky was chewing his cheek.

"Is that what you _want _me to do?"

Her eyes drifted his direction. "Maybe."

There was a pregnant pause, and then Bucky leapt from the chair. Alex barely set her glass down before he lifted her into his arms, locking them around her. She squealed with delight, wrapping her legs around Bucky's torso to hold onto him tightly, his laugh tickling her neck. "If I'm going down, you're coming with me!"

"You'll get no objection from me." He kissed her cheek while he had her that close, his hands gripping her ass as he brought them both towards the ocean. "Question is: who's going under first?"

Alex felt her competitive side roar, but she knew she would lose. It was unfair how Bucky could literally lift her with ease; her body weight to him was no more than that of a doll. She could talk the talk, but when it came to strength, Bucky would always win.

They bounded into the water, nearly falling over as the waves crashed around them. Bucky cupped the back of Alex's neck, his eyes meeting hers. "Last chance to wave the white flag, darling."

"Never!"

He shrugged, inhaled a deep breath, and jumped into the deep. Just as he suspected, Alex tried to push him under just as she slipped beneath the surface, her laughter only paused by the water itself. Bucky let her win, dipping below the surface as he felt her hands on his head. He felt more like a kid now than he had in his 100-some years.

Alex was still laughing when she reemerged, treading water and shaking back the hair that stuck to her face. Bucky exhaled a spray of water as he broke through the surface. Together, they bobbed along with the waves, treading water as they closed the distance between them. Alex reached out for Bucky, and he answered by drawing her into his arms. In the weightlessness of the water, Alex was able to wrap her legs around his waist once more as her arms clung to his neck.

With a wet finger, Bucky reached up and peeled back a piece of Alex's long hair that was stuck to her cheek. "There. That's better." He smiled humbly. "I don't want anything blocking my view right now."

It was little comments like these that made Alex melt. She wasn't entirely sure Bucky realized how sweet he was in innocent moments like this. He communicated so much with just his eyes, but it was the simple comments, the little unassuming gestures that always got her. Somewhere inside the soldier still lived a polite, dorky boy from the 40s, and she loved that boy with all her heart.

"You are everything I could ever hope for, you know that?" she told him.

Bucky lowered his eyes for only a second; blinking as the moment of bashfulness passed. "I hope I can always be that for you."

Alex answered him with a kiss, tasting the salt on his lips as their fullness enveloped hers. It was slow and deep, and beneath the water she felt Bucky's arms tighten around her. When they broke, Alex lowered her gaze to the droplets that clung to the cleft of his chin. She wiped the drops away with her thumb, then ran her hand along the line of his jaw. She smiled subconsciously, which Bucky picked up on.

"You're doing that thing you do." He studied her with those eyes, so round and full and a perfect match to the color of the water around them.

Alex cocked her head. "Hmm?"

"Where you imprint." The corner of Bucky's mouth curved upward. "That's what I call it, anyway."

Alex was a little surprised by this. Not because he suggested it, but because it was spot on. "I guess that _is_what I'm doing," she admitted. The waves heaved around them, inching them ever closer to shore. She didn't want to leave. Not yet. She had six more days of this kind of bliss, but the first moments were always the sweetest. "I suppose I'm trying to soak up every single second of this trip."

"I know exactly what you mean," Bucky told her.

His lips found hers and Alex tightened her arms around his neck, their mouths melding in a slow and steady embrace. They let the waves take them the rest of the way to shore, never breaking their embrace until they felt the sand beneath their feet once more.

* * *

Tony Stark's private island wasn't huge, but it didn't need to be. It was a private island, after all, and it was all his. Every structure on the island was his, built to his specifications, employed by natives of the island region and paid handsomely. They worked year-round, living in homes dotting the island while Tony remained in New York with the rest of the Avengers. One of the structures Tony had built was a private beach bungalow, which is where Bucky and Alex now stayed. It was one of several guest bungalows, but was spacious enough to be an entire home if someone wanted it to be. It was built on stilts above the shallow coastal waters, with a thatched roof and airy windows and doors that lead either out to the ocean itself, or down a boardwalk that brought them to the main cluster of buildings on the vacation grounds.

The bungalow's master bedroom was also open and airy, with one entire wall able to open to a private deck and the ocean beyond. Sheer white curtains fluttered in the breeze that entered the bedroom, coaxing Alexis awake later that night. The air was humid and warm, so she and Bucky slept naked, but the breeze brought a chill to her skin after hours of being in the sun that day. She stirred; reaching an arm out to where Bucky lay beside her. Instead of his warm body, she felt nothing but bare sheets. Her eyes opened, checking around the room for his large figure. She spotted him beyond the open bedroom wall, sitting on the deck with his back facing the bed.

Feeling a twinge of concern, Alex slipped off the bed, pulled on a camisole and panties, then padded barefoot out to the deck. Bucky acknowledged her with a tight smile, even as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. "Everything okay?"

"Nightmare" was all he answered. His eyes stayed focused beyond, on the water and the night sky dotted with stars.

Alex ran a hand through his hair and pressed a kiss to the back of his head. He leaned into her touch as she cradled him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bucky shrugged. "You know how they go."

She did, but that didn't make it any easier for either of them. Even with the work they put in together, with Alex using her powers to help Bucky through the emotional turmoil of his past, he still had nightmares from time to time. They both hoped he might be able to get a solid night's rest while on their trip, but it seemed now that would not be the case.

Unwrapping her arms, Alex took a seat next to Bucky on the deck and let her feet dangle over the edge. Ocean water sloshed beneath them, and she felt the coolness of it tickle her skin. They sat listening to the sound of nearby waves pounding on the beach, comfortable in each other's presence. Alex knew if Bucky wanted to talk, he would. Sometimes he just wanted to be with his thoughts and she was okay with that, but she wanted to be there for him...even if it meant sitting quietly beside him.

Eventually, Bucky's metal hand slid over and rested on Alex's thigh. In response, she moved her own hand to cover it, letting him know she was ready to listen.

"I keep seeing the lab in Russia" he said, his voice still gravelly with sleep. "I don't know why, but I always wake up thinking I'm there again."

Alex felt the plated joints of his hand stiffen around her thigh. "From what you've told me, I don't think that will be an easy part of your past to let go of."

"Even with all the help you've given?" There was a silent plead for assurance in the blue-gray of his eyes. "When will it ever get better?"

A pained smile crossed Alex's face. She moved her hand to the base of his neck, feeling how tight the muscles were there. "Be kind to yourself, James. Remember it won't happen overnight, and we've only been practicing for six months. Even in that small amount of time, you've conquered so much. You're far stronger than you realize."

To Bucky, it felt like weakness. The words _by now_repeated over and over in his mind: _by now _he should be getting a hold of the nightmares. _By now_he should be getting better at leaving the past in the past. _By now _he shouldn't be waking his girlfriend on their getaway in the middle of the night. _By now _he should be better.

He knew he expected too much of himself, and he tried to cut himself a break. Without Alexis, her strength, and her support, he knew he wouldn't be where he was today. But in these moments of weakness, he felt that nagging, repressed anger boiling inside him and it was always directed at the people who made him this way. They took his power away from him, and having these kinds of nightmares always reawakened that feeling.

Next to him, Alex could see the struggle in the lines of Bucky's face. "Can I ease a little of it for you?" she asked, rubbing the base of his neck.

Bucky closed his eyes and nodded. Stilling her hand, Alex allowed her powers to flow outward through her fingers and into Bucky's psyche. Soon, her soothing white light enveloped them both on the deck. The reflection of her light danced on the ocean's surface brighter than the moon above. Bucky felt his tension subside as soon as Alex's powers filled his mind and body. She wrapped her gift around his pain with a familiar, comforting warmth, shutting out the pain and replacing it with love.

When she finished, Bucky felt immediately lighter. Freer. The couple looked at one another and shared a smile. Nothing needed to be said. They'd been here enough times that any kind of _thank you _was automatically implied. Their lips met in a tender embrace, with Bucky's hand melting into Alex's long hair.

When Alex pulled back, she could see a little of the torment still lingering in Bucky's eyes. "What's wrong? Didn't it work?"

"It did." He cupped her cheek, hoping the appreciation he felt was at least evident in his touch. "There's just a lot of anger still inside me." His eyes lowered to the satiny straps of her cami, and a tiny hint of amusement crossed his face. "Why'd you put this on?"

"I caught a chill" she answered, knowing it was only half-true. She wasn't used to walking about naked in what she considered a public place, even if it wasn't _totally _public.

"We're free here." His eyes met hers with a seriousness Alex recognized as his _trust me _look. "It's just us. Nothing to hide."

_"Nothing to hide_" Alex murmured as Bucky's lips found hers once more. This was the kiss she was waiting for; the one that let her know just what Bucky was feeling. She could feel through the strength of his embrace, the slow movement of his lips, the quickening of his breathing...he needed her. He needed more.

When their mouths parted, Bucky saw a flicker of wickedness flare in Alex's dark eyes. "Darling?"

"I think I know what you need to make your anger subside." She leaned in closer, her gaze lowering to his mouth. "You need to feel the control they took away from you."

Bucky felt the heat of his blood pulsing below his waist. "You mean..." He barely got the words out before Alex confirmed with a nod.

"Control me instead, James."

In the past few weeks, he and Alex had reached a level in their relationship where they had become freer sexually. Bucky found out that Alex had a dark side to her; wicked and sexy and more than he could have ever hoped for. A couple weeks before their trip, after a mission that was particularly challenging for them, Bucky had unleashed a side of him where his darker desires had taken over. That night, he needed release, and he needed it badly. He needed to _fuck_. There was a time for making love, but it wasn't that night. That night, he needed to take Alex as his own. To claim her in a way he'd been hesitant to prior to that night. Dominance came easily to him, and whether he tried to resist it or not, it was always there, simmering beneath the surface. There was a part of him that would always be the polite boy from the 40s, but there was a more powerful side of him that dominated his mind and body and craved release when he was with Alex.

As a result of giving in to this desire, it revealed that Alexis had a darker level of desire all her own. That night, they let those desires take over, and it became clear yet again that they were connected far more than they ever realized. Their level of trust was such that they could give in to one another's darker desires without fear.

Alex found out that she craved this side of Bucky. She _wanted _to be claimed. She wanted Bucky to take her, to mark her and make her his and to use her to his fulfillment. She wanted to feel the full extent of the power he kept in check during their everyday life, particularly their work life. Once she finally had a taste of that, she wanted more. And now, in the privacy of the near-secluded island and their ocean bungalow, they could do it with hardly any of the confines of their Avenger lifestyle. They had nothing to hide, and no one to hide from.

Bucky felt Alexis' soft lips working down the length of his neck and he realized he needed no further encouragement. He felt the fire inside him ignite at her words, and her encouraging kisses were fueling the flames.

Without his usual level of restraint, Bucky seized Alex's throat in his metal hand. Her eyes came alive in response, and her smile grew even more devilish. It was all the signal Bucky needed.

He stood, pulling Alex with him as his hand remained clasped about her throat. She heard the plates of his arm locking, but wasn't afraid. While it was a sound most found intimidating, she knew Bucky would never hurt her. This was a game they liked to play, and she knew he had her best interest in mind. The sound of those arm plates locking told her she was about to have an amazing night.

Bucky lead her back to the bedroom, and Alex followed willingly. With his hand still tightly locked on to her throat, he guided Alex to her knees with her back against the foot of the bed. She gazed up at him, wetting her lips eagerly.

"You want to play, doll?" The depth of his voice was heavy with lust.

Alex nodded. "You know what I want."

A flash of intensity in those blue eyes told her he did. He drew his thumb along her bottom lip, staring at the mouth he was about to enter. He bent for just a moment to kiss her, his hand returning to cup her neck just below her jaw. "Tell me how bad you want me to fuck that pretty mouth."

"I want you to fuck more than my mouth." Alex gave a wicked smile, and Bucky returned the favor.

"That's my good girl."

He stood to his full height and adjusted the waistband of his mesh shorts. They were the pair he usually slept in, so Alex was more than familiar with the view she currently had. She'd been on her knees before him before, staring at the same mesh fabric as it stretched to accommodate his swelling hard-on. Bucky's steeled gaze never faltered, the muscles in his jaw and neck flexing as the anticipation grew between them. He tugged the waistband down just enough until his length sprung free, lining up with Alex's nose. He gripped the base and Alex opened her mouth.

Bucky swore under his breath. Even after all the months they were together, he still could not get over how beautiful Alex looked on her knees. He would never, _ever _tire of seeing her open her mouth willingly to him, and would thank her later in the best way he knew how. It turned him on to know that the woman before him, the woman who was stronger than any woman he'd ever met, wanted to lower to her knees just to please him. It made him feel invincible.

Alex kept her eyes on Bucky as he guided his dick into her mouth, one hand palming the top of her head. She felt the weight of it press against her tongue, tasted the salty essence, and wanted more. She closed her lips around him as he began to thrust slowly in and back out.

"Fuck, you're beautiful" he growled, moving his hips painfully slow as he watched himself disappear into the warmth of Alex's mouth.

Alex blinked a _thank you, _while barely able to make out a smile with her lips wrapped around him. She took more of his length until she felt the tip press against the back of her throat. She breathed hard through her nose to avoid gagging, readjusting her lips to make sure she took every last centimeter. She felt Bucky's fingers sink into her hair as he held her still, her nose pressed against the flat pane of muscle beneath his belly button.

"That's it..." Bucky tightened his hold on her. "A little more...take it all..."

Alex felt her eyes watering. Just when she thought she would gag, he withdrew. Spit ran from her chin, which Bucky gently wiped away with his hand.

"Such a good girl."

"Again" Alex pleaded.

Bucky shook his head with a chuckle. A sinful grin spread across his face as he gripped the base. "Open wide."

She did. Gladly. She knew how much he loved this and how much she loved doing it for him. She could feel her own arousal growing slick between her thighs as Bucky slid his length back in to the hilt, her nose bumping against him again and again as he fucked her mouth. Alex grabbed on to the meat of his thighs for support, trying her best to let him keep the pace as she treated his dick to the best she had to offer. It was no secret between them that this was something Bucky had grown to love, especially since it wasn't something he did much of back in the 40s. _Now, _however, Alex had shown him the light. She'd treated him to a good blow job as often as she could; working the stress from him after missions, or waking him from sleep with her tongue lapping at his swelling length. She loved giving as much as Bucky loved receiving, especially when her view was her super soldier unraveling before her. _Because _of her.

Finally, Bucky had reached the very brink of his self-control. Alex's mouth felt too good. Too wet. Too warm. He could stay inside her like this forever, but he could feel his balls begin to tighten and he knew he had to back off or risk releasing too soon. He withdrew from her mouth with a pop, allowing himself to cool down a little. He knelt before Alex, kissing her swollen mouth and tasting himself on her. It turned him on in ways he never expected, and in no time he felt his dick craving her body once more.

Bucky locked his metal fingers in Alex's hair and lifted her to her feet. He cupped her face and their mouths met hungrily. It was sloppy, nothing but teeth and tongue, and Bucky couldn't get enough. He pulled back just to admire Alex's delicate face, those dark eyes full of desire for him and only him, her hair sticky with spit, and her glorious mouth...All of her. She was all his.

Alex kissed Bucky again, taking it slower this time. "Did you bring any ties?" she breathed.

Bucky's mouth curved into a smirk. "You know I did."

One eyebrow shot upward. "Is that so?"

Bucky tipping his chin towards the bed. "Get in position and wait."

Excitement rolled through Alex's body. She was already turned on to the point she was dripping down the inside of her own thighs, but now? Now that she knew Bucky brought some of their accessories on this trip? Without telling her? She nearly shuddered in anticipation. _This _was the dark side of Bucky she craved after she first got a taste.

With her heart racing inside her chest, she climbed on top of the bed and lay on her stomach, arms and legs spread knowingly. She heard the clink of the clasps as Bucky brought out the wrist and ankle restraints. He looped the ties around the edges of the four corners of the bed, clasping the cuffs loosely around Alex's wrists and ankles. He never tightened them to hurt her, only to keep her in place long enough so they could play.

When he had her where he wanted, Bucky kissed his way up the backside of Alex's creamy thighs, seeing and feeling how wet she already was for him. He knew she was loving it when she began to already tug a little on the restraints that held her in place. The pride he felt only made his dick throb harder. He pressed two metal fingers to her pink folds as he kissed his away along the curve of her spine.

Alex whimpered a little as she felt the hard metal of his fingers spread her. They slid inside effortlessly, and she felt Bucky's hot breath against her shoulder as he chuckled.

"So wet already. Such a good girl."

Bucky's voice alone could have drawn an orgasm from her. There was a darkness to it that spoke directly to your core, massaging the wetness from you with just his breath. Alex bit her lip as Bucky curved his fingers inside her, hitting the tender spot that made her arch her back in response. "Baby..."

"Hmm?"

"More..."

Bucky nipped at the skin at the base of her neck. "You want more? Tell me what you want."

"I want your dick inside me." The words left Alex's mouth in a breathless pant as Bucky pressed against her g-spot again with his fingers. The metal felt so good. He knew exactly where to press, where she liked it, how much she liked. Her body was on fire. She needed that thickness only his dick could give her. Her walls craved it.

Bucky reached up and turned Alex's face so her mouth met his. He kissed her as he withdrew his fingers and lined his dick up to her wetness. Alex wiggled her hips as much as the restraints would allow, slicking up his tip with her own arousal.

"Does my girl want it slow this time?" he asked, his breath hot against her cheek as he placed tender kisses over her skin. "Or all at once?"

"All at once" she purred. "_Just give it to me._"

His voice deepened. "Such a greedy girl."

He pulled away, and Alex immediately missed the weight of his body pressing down against her. And while she couldn't see him, she knew Bucky was taking some time to admire her before he gave her exactly what she wanted. He always liked to admire. He connected with her that way. Even now, she knew that he was having one good look at her before he began. In response, Alex arched her back, presenting herself to him as much as she could against the restraints. She shifted her gaze back at him and caught the grin that was plastered on his face. He pressed the tip to her folds, and in one smooth thrust he was inside her.

A moan escaped Alex as his fullness stretched her. He withdrew at a painfully slow rate, which made Alex whimper weakly. There was an calculated pause, and then Bucky dove inside her again. He pressed himself flush against her back, the weight of him stealing the air from Alex's lungs. She heard the shifting of metal plates, and then felt his hand against her throat.

"You like it when I'm deep inside you, don't you?"

His words made her body hotter; her mind fuzzier. She mewled something pathetic in response, trying her best to focus as his hips drove his length inside her with increasing force. He sucked at the back of her neck, using his teeth to leave a mark she'd still be wearing days from now.

One particularly deep thrust caused Alex's arms to jerk hard on the restraints, a long moan drawing forth in between her heavy breathing. Bucky left himself buried deep inside her, loving the way Alex squirmed on his dick. The view he had was mind-boggling. He felt drunk off the pleasure, his mind teetering on the edge of reality and fantasy in a way that left him breathless. Alexis was his soul mate. He swore it in those moments, whether it was the lust talking or not. He didn't care. He had proof everyday and if this wasn't confirmation, he didn't know what was.

The thought alone made him withdraw with a heavy exhale, feeling himself edging dangerously close to orgasm. Her body would kill him. Not the Chitauri. Not Hydra. Not some foe he'd never met yet. Her body and what it did to his - that would be his demise.

"Fuck, Alexis." He sat back on his heels and wiped his forehead with the back of his fist. "I need a second."

Laughter rumbled from Alex as she lay her head on the pillow. "Awww...who's the sensitive one now, huh?"

He took her challenge eagerly, and with a growing smirk. Standing up from the bed, he went around to each restraint and undid the clasps, giving Alex a minute to stretch while she rolled onto her stomach. He didn't reclaspe them, so she was free to move - and now they could see one another. This is how he would bring them both to fulfillment, and he got right to work.

With Bucky towering over her, Alex had the view she craved. His handsome face was tight and focused, his sharp jaw clenched in determination, his body a machine of taut muscle. The vein in his flesh arm bulged over the rise of his bicep, and Alex found herself transfixed by the movement of it. So much raw power coming from his body, the pressure between her legs sending heat to every inch of hers. When Bucky lifted both of her legs to his shoulders and leaned his full weight into her, Alex knew it was only a matter of time.

With her ankles damn near pressed to her ears, Bucky gave Alex the full pounding he knew would bring her over the edge. She moaned his name wildly between incoherent noises, her whimpers getting higher pitched with every thrust. When she closed her eyes, Bucky gripped her jaw and forced them back open.

"Look at me, princess" he grunted. "Look at me when you cum."

Alex felt her body shutter at his command. Suddenly, the feeling of his dick diving in and out of her body became overwhelming. His pelvis slapped against her, rubbing her clit with each thrust. Their eyes never left one another, even as their breathing became ragged as they neared their own climaxes. It took everything in Alex to focus on the blue eyes before her as she dove headfirst over the cliff and let her body shatter beneath him. The waves came and her body clenched around Bucky's, drawing the last of his resolve out of him. He plunged one final time into Alex and felt himself release, shooting inside her as her walls milked him. He drained himself within her, uttering her name like a reverent prayer. He drug his mouth lazily over her forehead, then her lips, and then let her legs go from his shoulders. Rolling off to the side, Bucky caught his breath and waited for Alex to come back to him.

When her breathing finally returned to a normal level, Alex opened her eyes and licked her lips. She could tell they were puffy from all that had just occurred, but it was a familiar and welcomed sensation. Her entire body was slowly coming down from the high; her skin sensitive to every one of Bucky's lingering, tender kisses. He dotted her breasts with them, then her chest and neck, until finally reaching her mouth. His movements were slow; deliberate. He let her return to earth after such a intense orgasm, and when Alex finally met his gaze, it was full of pride and accomplishment.

"So beautiful." His mouth melded slowly with hers, drawing out one last breath from her exhausted body. "You're so good to me" he uttered.

Alex leaned into Bucky's mouth as he continued peppering her neck with slow, open-mouthed kisses and nuzzles. He licked at the spot he'd bitten earlier, kissing it gently. Alex cradled his head in her hands, her fingers finding a home deep within his hair. "That was amazing. _You _areamazing." She felt him smile against her neck.

"Let me take care of you now."

As gently as he could, Bucky slid out from beneath Alex. He removed the cuffs from her, then went to the washroom. Alex used those few moments alone to collect herself and try and come back to reality. The euphoria she felt in moments like these were hard to come back from, but Bucky always helped. He returned with a warm, wet cloth and a glass of ice water. He offered Alex the water first. She took a long drink, wetting her throat and feeling relief where his body had once occupied. Her eyes never left his as she drank, and she could see the appreciation he had for her and the work she'd put in.

When she was satisfied, Bucky placed the glass on the end table and then gently nudged open her legs. He moved the cloth in slow, gentle strokes over her core, cleaning her and comforting her tired body. Alex lay back and felt the soothing warmth as he pressed it over her swollen clit, then further down to her inner thighs, pressing just hard enough to clean her up without unnecessary force.

Nothing brought more joy to Bucky than seeing the familiar happy, drowsy look of bliss on Alex's face. He slipped in beside her on the bed and kissed her forehead, nuzzling her as he assessed her breathing. "How do you feel, doll?" His voice coaxed her eyes back open.

"So good." Alex cuddled into his arms, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "You?"

He kissed her cheek. "Like the luckiest man on the planet."

Alex looked up, catching the light that danced in his eyes. They shared a smile, and Alex made sure to give him a kiss to thank him. She could taste a hint of herself still on his mouth, their scent still mixing together in the bedroom. She slid in closer, their legs entwining as they found a comfortable position in which they could see one another as they cuddled.

Reaching up, Alex lazily traced the outline of Bucky's mouth, her fingertip barely brushing along the corners of his mouth to his cupid's bow. Her touch was feather light as she traced upward to his nose, watching Bucky scrunch up his face in response. She let out a soft giggle, completely smitten by the change that always took place after such intensely intimate nights together. Gone was the man who oozed power and dominance, replaced by a soft and ticklish man who just wanted to be kissed to sleep.

Bucky reached behind him and offered Alex another drink, and she gladly took it. She wanted to drink it all, but she gave the rest to him, knowing he was just as spent as she was. She watched with silent pride as Bucky guzzled the remainder of the water with a heavy exhale, feeling rather accomplished at how thoroughly she owned her man's pleasure as much as he owned hers.

When the glass was back on the end table, Bucky spent time holding Alex. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, watching as her eyelids became heavy. "Sleep, babygirl." He ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm to her waist, giving tender caresses until he felt her body soften against his.

"Love you" Alex murmured, feeling warm and comforted in his arms.

Bucky stroked her head and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Love you too."

* * *

The next morning, Alex awoke feeling whole and satisfied...and practically stuck to Bucky. She was encased in arms that wound about her chest, with hardly a gap between their bare bodies as his large frame enveloped hers. The humidity in the room, quite literally, made Alex sticky; the heat of Bucky's chest against her back was slick with a sheen of sweat that developed overnight. She supposed it wasn't much of a surprise; they'd hardly let go of one another the whole night as they slept.

Now it caused a bit of a problem, because she had to pee. _Badly_. Given Bucky's hold on her, Alex could see no successful way of leaving the protective cocoon of his arms without waking him.

Sighing, Alex repositioned her head so she could see Bucky. His face was utterly calm; his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that told her he was likely in a deeper sleep. The crude metal edge of his bionic arm where it attached to the flesh of his shoulder moved with each breath, but the metal remained motionless. It occurred to her that he'd never taken his arm off in the night. It was something he had been doing it more recently before bed, though it hadn't happened easily at first.

One night about a month or so ago, Bucky admitted to her that he felt awkward being seen without his arm on. He confessed he'd been afraid to take it off around her for fear of how it would look and if she'd think it was weird. Alex took it upon herself from that moment forward to make Bucky feel as comfortable as she could, whether he had the arm on or not. It didn't matter how he looked. He wasn't a freak to her, and he never would be.

And yet, as she lay there next to him staring at the metal, she wished for selfish reasons he'd taken the arm off...because it would have helped her get to the washroom easier. Her bladder was literally screaming at her.

As gently as she could, Alex pushed out from beneath the heavy arms wrapped about her and inched her way to the edge of the bed. It took more skill than some of her martial art maneuvers not to wake Bucky. She almost made it before she felt him shift behind her. Freezing, Alex glanced over her shoulder to find he was still very much asleep but was now on his back, one arm lazily slumped over his stomach. He ground his jaw - something he also did often while he slept - and then went still.

Exhaling the air she'd been holding in her lungs, Alex crossed the remainder of the space to the end of the bed. She hurriedly tiptoed into the washroom and closed the door, relieved she hadn't woken him. He deserved his sleep while he could get it, especially since it was nightmare free.

When Alex finished and went to the sink to wash her hands, she almost jumped back. The reflection in the mirror was a hot mess. Some of her hair was stuck against her neck and face on one side. The other side had clearly been ruffled and now stood upright in a sort of tangled-up poof. Alex supposed a night of rough sex and sweaty cuddling would do that.

As such, she wore her tangled-up poofy hair as a badge of honor and decided to step out onto the deck for some air. A door connected one end of the deck to the washroom, so Alex didn't have to worry about waking Bucky up. She stepped out onto the deck and drank in the salty air. The sun was just rising, casting angled pillars of pale yellow over the undulating ocean water. Sea birds of some kind cawed, their cries lifting into the breeze that cooled Alex's skin. She rolled her neck and slowly stretched her shoulders, feeling how tight they were after her and Bucky's night. She'd be sore for a while, but it was worth it.

As the day's light grew brighter on the horizon, Alex remained on the deck. It was a peaceful moment to watch the sun as it rose fully, and she found herself lost in her thoughts. Seven months ago, she lived a lonesome life in New England; lost and angry and out of place in the world. Now she was watching the sunrise in the middle of the Pacific with a boyfriend who loved her more than anyone ever had in her life. Her powers were under control. Her life had purpose. It was a strange and wonderful feeling.

Once the sun's golden presence was fully exposed, Alex headed back inside to take a shower and get ready for whatever the new day had in store.

* * *

When Bucky opened his eyes later that morning, he awoke to the sound of music drifting from the washroom. He blinked drowsily, letting his eyes adjust to the daylight streaming in from the room's open wall. Beyond, the vast blue stretch of ocean glittered in the sun beneath a cloudless sky. It seemed it would be another beautiful day on the island.

And still, music continued to flow into the room between the sound of shower water and a faint voice singing along to the lyrics.

Pushing himself upright, Bucky listened to Alex sing along to whatever song was playing and it brought a smile to his face. He still had so much to learn about popular music these days, but he was getting more and more into some of the bands Alexis really liked. She liked a lot of rock music (much of which sounded like noise to him), but plenty more of it was to his liking. Whatever she was listening to currently had a decent beat, though he could hardly make out what the male singer was saying.

When Alex's voice rose to hit a high note, Bucky winced a little. He pressed his lips together to prevent the laugh that wanted to be released. Even though she wasn't in the same room, he didn't feel right laughing. Her carefree nature made him feel happy, and for a moment he considered joining her. Instead, he let her have her moment alone, listening to her voice rise and fall in between the music and the slosh of running water.

He sat there for a while, propped up in bed and staring out at the water. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tightness in the muscles of his arm and back. A welcomed sensation, given the reasons that lead to it.

Out of habit, he reached for his phone on the nightstand. His cellular data remained off, as was his and Alex's promise to one another, so it felt weird checking the screen. He never would have guessed himself to be the type to 'check his phone', but here he was. He half expected to see a text from Steve about some meeting or mission report that morning, but the screen remained blank.

Instead, Bucky opened the photo album app and swiped through a few of the pictures he took so far on the trip. Not nearly enough, in his opinion. It was only the second full day they'd been there, but he would try to remember to take more as the trip went on.

He opened a picture of him and Alexis on the beach from the day before and paused. In the picture he was facing the camera, a love-drunk smile on his face while Alex kissed his cheek. He swiped to the next photo; one that he took without Alexis even knowing. She was walking barefoot along the beach in front of him, dressed in her bikini with some kind of sheer wrap tied about her waist. She gazed off into the distance at some point beyond the water, the sun reflecting off her sunglasses and the ends of her hair fluttering in the breeze.

Bucky smiled to himself as he stared at it. It was a good photo, and he was glad he captured the moment. He might make it his phone wallpaper, if he could figure out how.

Eventually, the sounds coming from the washroom died down and the shower shut off. Bucky's curious side got the best of him, so he climbed out of bed and went over and stood against the open washroom doorframe. He watched with a growing smile as Alex shimmied to the music. She ran a towel through her long hair, then wrapped it around her naked body and secured it above her breasts. Because the mirror was steamed up, she didn't know he was standing there. As such, Bucky enjoyed a private moment of pure delight as he watched his girlfriend dance along with the music coming from her phone. She bopped her head, swinging her damp hair from one side to the other as she massaged some kind of product through its length.

When Alex finally turned around and saw him, she leapt back so hard she ran into the sink. "James!"

Bucky started laughing. He walked towards her, gathering her into his arms. "I love you so much."

"How long were you there!?"

"Long enough" he said, his chuckle turning very closely into a giggle. He hugged her close and gave her ass a little pat. "You dance really well, darling."

Alex pushed back from him, her dark eyes sparkling with a mixture of humor and embarrassment. "You're a jerk."

"Oh come on. _Nothing to hide_, remember?" He nudged her in the side.

"Nothing to hide" she repeated in agreement, hardly able to look away from the smile he was wearing. She was quickly realizing this was going to be the theme of their getaway. And, when she thought about it, it wasn't a half-bad theme to have. This week was about them. Together but alone, away from every one of their usual distractions.

Right _now_, however, a giant assassin and his puppy-dog face were her only distractions.

His hands found their way to her waist, where they settled comfortably. "How do you feel this morning?"

"A little sore, but the good kind of sore." She ran her hands the length of his forearms, admiring the hint of sun that colored his chest from yesterday. "But I feel amazing. Refreshed. Ready for another day with you."

Bucky's smile turned boyish. "That's the best thing I could hear, really."

Alex stood on her toes and kissed him. When she left his arms and went back to paying attention to her hair, Bucky leaned against the doorframe. He watched her for a moment, silently admiring the primping process she did in the mornings. "So...What _is _on the agenda today?"

"I was actually just thinking of a plan."

"Oh?"

"Did Tony say if he left us any vehicles here, by chance?"

"I'm pretty sure his exact words were: _whatever you two want or need, it'll be there." _Bucky shrugged. "I'm guessing that's a yes."

"My guess as well." Alex ran a brush through her hair, considering their options. "We should mosey over to the main building and see what we've got to work with, then hit the road and explore the rest of this island." She met Bucky's gaze and could tell he was already on board. "Whaddya say?"

"I say we do it." He closed the distance between them and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll get us some breakfast going in the meantime."

He went to step away, but Alex grabbed his arm. She drew him back into her, her mouth locking on to his in a deeper embrace. She swept her tongue over his briefly before letting him go.

A confused smile tugged at Bucky's mouth. "And that was for...?"

"For last night. For today. For everything." She patted his cheek. "Just letting you know I love you."

Bucky would never get enough of the ways she always let him know. He smiled, feeling his heart flutter. "Love you too, babygirl."


	3. Chapter 2

Neither Bucky nor Alex were even sure who they were supposed to address when it came to asking about what kind of access they had to Stark's island. They discussed over breakfast they would go to the main building and play it all by ear. Everything about the trip was somewhat of an adventure; an experiment of trials and errors for two people who never, _ever _took vacations. If they didn't have a vehicle, they'd set out on foot. No biggie.

As such, the pair dressed for the part. Alex wore a simple light blue tank top and khaki shorts, a pair of hiking boots, and her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Bucky had chosen a plain white v-neck t-shirt and black athletic shorts with sneakers. He also wore a navy ball hat, his dark hair pushed behind his ears. Whatever awaited them, they were at least dressed for a hike, if nothing else.

When the couple entered the foyer of the main building on Stark's vacation property, it looked as if they had stepped into a hotel lobby. There was the usual _Stark Industries _logo on the main wall which faced the entrance. It hung proudly above a crescent-shaped white marble desk. The room was decorated with a multitude of hearty green plants, some of which hung from the tall airy ceiling that must have stood three stories high. Birds that had wandered mistakenly inside fluttered about and chirping happily.

At the desk sat a middle-aged woman, busy behind a computer screen and unaware that anyone even entered the building. Like the rest of the native employees they saw on the island, she had the most gorgeous caramel skin aged by the sun, but her eyes held a youthful twinkle. Her salt and pepper hair was pulled up into a bun, while a flowery dress adorned her sturdy figure.

Upon seeing Bucky and Alex coming forward, she stood up in greeting. "_La ora na!" _she said, speaking in native Tahitian. She quickly scanned the couple, and her eyes settled on Bucky's arm. "Ah yes! You must be Mr. Stark's guests?"

Alex gave a nod and a smile. "Yes. My name is Alexis, and this is my boyfriend-"

Bucky stepped forward and tipped his head. "Bucky, Ma'am."

Alex slipped an arm around Bucky's broad midsection, hugging him close and with a smile. Bucky could see how proud she was to stand beside him and introduce him as her boyfriend. It felt good to know she was proud to show him off. The way she looked at him in moments like these, where her eyes glittered with a secret knowledge of the things they shared together as a couple, it always made him feel so special.

"A pleasure to meet you Bucky and Alexis." The woman bowed to them, her hands pressed together near her chest. "_Maeva_ to you both. My name is Heilani."

"Nice to meet you, Heilani" Alex replied. "We were wondering who we would ask about borrowing a vehicle for the day, if that's possible? Tony didn't mention anything before we left."

"Oh yes dear, that would be me. What did you have in mind?"

As Alex and Heilani spoke, Bucky ran his eyes across the foyer of the building. He knew there were no threats here, but it never hurt to make sure. Doing so was just part of his nature. He spotted a few other employees milling about, but nothing that seemed out of place. A bulky man with dark hair and tanned skin wiped down the extensive window panels that made up the foyer's exterior walls. Two more native women stood chatting in a nearby hallway, their voices cheerful and relaxed. At the foot of one of the women stood a little girl; no more than 4 or 5 years old, by the looks of it. She had jet black hair and curious eyes, and held a stuffed animal in one hand while the other held on to her mother.

Bucky noticed the girl staring at him, so he gave her a tiny wave. To his surprise, the girl waved back.

"Just let me grab those keys for you" Heilani told Alex. "I'll be right back."

Bucky's attention came back to Alex as she leaned against the counter and gave him a thumbs-up. "Looks like we've got ourselves a Jeep!"

Beneath the brim of his hat, Bucky's expression broke into a grin. "Sounds like Plan A is a go."

They shared a moment of silent excitement together as they waited for Heilani to return. It was Alex's turn to take in the surroundings of the building. In doing so, she caught the eyes of the curious little girl down the hallway. Bucky gave the girl another quick wave, and she buried her head shyly into her stuffed animal.

"Someone made a friend, I see" Alex teased. Her eyes wandered back to the girl, who was staring at them again, but with one eye hidden behind the fur of her stuffed friend.

Bucky smiled. "She's adorable."

"Totally." Alex waved at her, and the girl buried her head again. It made her and Bucky chuckle.

It took only a few minutes until Heilani returned, though her hands were empty. "Our groundskeeper, Oro, offered to bring the Jeep around to the entrance for you" she told the couple. "He'll only be a minute. Enjoy yourselves, and don't worry about bringing it back here at any specific time. Mr. Stark said to make sure you both had whatever you wanted."

"Thank you again, Heilani" Alex said, while Bucky gave a nod of thanks. With this, they turned and headed outside to wait for Oro and the vehicle.

It took all of maybe 30 seconds before the Jeep pulled out from the underground garage. When Alex first laid eyes on the Jeep, she burst into laughter, but quickly covered her mouth so no one would hear.

"What's so funny?" Bucky asked, amusement in his tone.

"Do you see that thing?" Alex nodded at the Jeep. "It looks like something straight out of _Jurassic Park!"_

Bucky's face screwed up. "What's Jurassic Park?"

"The movie?" Alex stared at him, realizing that the puzzled look on his face meant he hadn't seen it. "Don't tell me you haven't seen it?" When Bucky shook his head, she let out a gasp in shock. "James Buchanan Barnes, I thought I knew you!"

"Guess I better put it on the list" he said with a smirk. "And it looks like you have some homework to do with me."

"We're watching it tonight" she told him, even as the Jeep pulled around to the front of the building.

The groundskeeper brought the Jeep - which _did _look exactly like the vehicles used in the original Jurassic Park movie - to a stop in front of Bucky and Alex. She was still trying to figure out if Stark made the Jeep look this way on purpose when Oro put it in park and hopped out of the driver's side. When he came around the front to offer them the keys, Bucky's expression fell.

"Here you go, sir" Oro said, extending the keys to Bucky.

Their eyes locked, and a moment's hesitation crossed Bucky's face. He blinked, trying to remember where he saw this man before. His face seemed familiar, but he couldn't place how or why or where he would have seen him before. He wasn't native like the others on the island. In fact, Oro was quite pale and lacked the broader build of the Polynesian people he'd seen so far. But his eyes...Dark. Penetrating. Empty. He could have sworn he recognized those most of all.

When Bucky didn't take the keys, Alex's brow bent. "Babe?"

Oro smiled at Bucky and lifted the keys higher, dangling them from one finger. "Mr. Barnes?"

"Sorry." Bucky felt his sixth sense come alive as he took the keys from Oro. "Thanks."

After a quick but customary bow, Oro took leave of the couple. Bucky watched after him, struggling to place where he'd seen the man before. Only the feel of Alex's hand on his elbow brought him back to the present.

"Who was that?" she asked. "Do you know him?"

Bucky shook his head and blinked again. "I...I don't know. I can't remember."

Knowing how he struggled with this, Alex gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "Maybe it'll come to you later." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "C'mon Sergeant. Let's go for a ride."

She hopped into the passenger seat as Bucky went around to the driver's side. He turned the ignition and felt the Jeep rumble to life, but his eyes glanced back at the entrance of the building. Wherever Oro had gone, he was no longer visible. Bucky did his best to leave the image of him out of his mind the rest of the day. Like so many other faces and places in his mind, he was probably just confused.

He brought his focus back to the beautiful woman in the passenger seat and the open road ahead, then reached over and rested his hand on her thigh. Today was going to be out of this world, and he couldn't wait to get it started.

* * *

"Wait for me!" Alex called ahead. She jogged after Bucky down the dirt path they decided to randomly take for the hell of it. They spotted it off the main road, and upon seeing it, Bucky whipped the Jeep around and declared they were about to explore it. Today was all about spontaneity, so Alex was all for it.

She blew past tall ferns and moss-covered trees, keeping the figure of Bucky in her line of sight despite the incredible green growth all around her. She couldn't believe the amount of green she saw on this island. When she tried to think of someplace she'd been before that had this much vibrant green, she drew nothing but a blank. This island was truly a first for her for many reasons, including the beautiful flora around her.

Bucky slowed to a stop at a small incline not far from Alex, watching with a smirk as she jogged up to meet him. "You're way slower that I thought."

Alex pulled a face. "When you said 'let's race', I didn't think you were being serious."

"Why not?"

"Something about a super serum being an advantage, maybe?"

Bucky cocked his head. He watched Alex wipe her forehead with the bottom of her tank top, her bare stomach coming into view. He couldn't help but reach out and poke her. It brought a smile to her face every single time. "Come on, let's see where this trail leads." He reached out and took her hand. "I'll go your pace this time."

They traveled further inland on the path, through giant palm fronds and towering tree trunks whose canopies they couldn't even see. The air was thick with humidity and not a lick of wind, so both Bucky and Alex's shirts were stained with sweat after just a few minutes of foot travel. They wound deeper into the jungle-like forest, the songs of a multitude of birds filling the air around them.

Soon, the couple heard a rumble in the distance. When they heard it getting louder, they eventually began to jog in hopes that the sound was coming from some kind of waterfall.

They were correct.

When they rounded a bend and pushed through some overgrown vines hanging from a tree, the scene that greeted them was breathtaking. They both came to a stop on the trail, their mouths slackening in awe.

"Oh my God" Alex uttered, her eyes rising to the full height of the waterfall before them. It must have been maybe 100 feet high, though not very wide. Its feathery trail of water ended in a lagoon of the brightest turquoise water she'd ever seen. Rocks of all shapes and sizes wound about the perimeter of the lagoon; some covered with moss, others totally bare.

For Bucky, he had never seen anything like it in his life. "It's so beautiful" he said, wishing he had a better word for it.

Slowly, his and Alex's eyes met, their mouths curving into broad smiles.

"Race you to the water?" Bucky said.

Alex's only response was her grin. She took off at a sprint, though Bucky wasn't far behind. Both of them ran for the water while laughing and pushing at one another, and Alex burst into a fit of giggles when Bucky pulled ahead of her. He made it to the edge of the lagoon first, threw off his hat, peeled the shirt off his body, and dove head-first into the water. Alex wasn't far behind. As quick as she could, she dropped the backpack she was carrying, pulled off her boots, her shirt, _and _her shorts, and jumped into the water, cannonball style.

They both surfaced at the same time, their laughter rising above the pounding sound of the falling water. A cloud of fine spray rose around them, casting a glittering rainbow above their heads when they looked above them.

Bucky felt joy explode in his chest. He couldn't believe his life; the waterfall, Alexis, the water they were swimming in. How was he even here? With a woman like her? After everything in his life, it felt strange to feel pure happiness like he did in that moment.

His eyes met Alex's, a dumb grin on his face. "I can't believe we're here together." He raised a hand toward the waterfall "In a place like _this_."

Alex swam closer, locking her legs around Bucky's waist and her arms around his neck. Billowing mist dotted their eyelashes with tiny water droplets. Alex watched as a few grew heavy on Bucky's lashes and rolled down his flushed cheeks. His mouth was wet and inviting, so she pressed her lips to his as the water cascaded around them.

"Does that make it a little more believable?" she asked.

Bucky smiled against her mouth. "I may need to test it one more time." He stole another long kiss from her, his hands sliding along her back as he drew her in.

And so it went for the couple as they spent those first few moments at their private lagoon. They floated on their backs, eyes closed, reveling in the moment. They kissed whenever they felt like it because they could; because somehow, the waterfall and the jungle and the rocks and a week away from New York made them feel like they were falling in love again all over again. Maybe they were. Maybe they would never stop falling in love with one another, no matter how much time passed. Bucky hoped they never would. He'd make a point to ensure it didn't.

After they cooled themselves in the water and had their fill of swimming, the couple climbed onto a large rock along the bank of the lagoon. It was smooth enough that they could both lay down beside one another on it; legs stretched out and their faces to the sun.

Alex lay there with her eyes closed, listening to the water and feeling totally at peace. "What do you think the rest of the team is doing right now?"

Bucky smiled. "Not _this_, that's for sure."

Their eyes met as they shared a knowing glance.

"Who, if anyone, would have the most fun here, do you think?" Alex asked.

Bucky thought about it for a moment before answering. "Honestly? Steve...or maybe even Sam."

"Definitely Sam" Alex replied. She smiled to herself, trying to picture either one of those two and how they'd spend their time at a place like this. "Although I'm having a harder time picturing Steve letting loose here."

"Really?" Bucky rolled his head to the side to look at her. "Not me. I could see him trying to leap from the top of the waterfall."

Alex inclined her head. "You make a fair point."

"The thing about Steve is: he's always been stubborn. Ever since I first met him." Bucky closed his eyes and let the sun warm him as he thought back on some of the dumb stuff he and Steve would get in to when they were teenagers. Memories like these came to him more easily these days, thanks to Alexis and the work she put in with him. Looking back on his youth wasn't as difficult as it used to be, and he could share more of those moments with Alex than ever before as a result.

When one such memory popped into Bucky's mind at that moment, it made him start to laugh. Alex turned her head. "What?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Bucky's laughter slowed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just thought of something, is all." He glanced over and to find a twinkle in Alex's large eyes, so she clearly wanted to hear more. So he began the tale of he and Steve's first trip to Atlantic City.

"Picture this" he began, "I was 15. Stevie was 14. We had this stupid idea that we should go to Atlantic City and check out the boardwalk, so we scrounged up some money and took a bus. Of course, while walking around trying to enjoy ourselves, Steve had to go and pick a fight with someone."

Alex feigned surprise. "You don't say!"

"Right?!" Bucky started to chuckle. "This time, it was with some scumbag who tried to take a girl's money. I can't remember if she was trying to buy cotton candy or get a drink or something, but Steve saw her getting bullied into giving up her money and stepped in."

It came as absolutely no surprise to Alex that pre-serum Steve Rogers was just the same then as he was now. "What happened next?" she asked. "Did you step in?"

Bucky almost snorted. "Did I step in?" He looked at her, humor in eyes. "I didn't even have a chance to. Steve took the money from the guy and jumped off the pier into the ocean."

"What?!" Alex let out a surprised laugh. "Really?"

He nodded, a laugh escaping from him as well. "He told the guy to jump in after him if he wanted the money that badly."

"Oh my God..."

"The guy never went after him, either. By the time Steve swam to shore, the gal and I reached the beach. She was all smiles when he gave the sopping wet money back to her."

Alex gazed at the waterfall in a whole new light. "I suppose jumping from the top of _that _isn't such a stretch after all, huh?"

"Not a stretch whatsoever, doll" Bucky said, a bemused smile playing at his mouth. "But that's Steve for ya."

They lay quietly together for a while, their minds wandering off in their own directions. Bucky faced the sky and stretched his arms behind his head, while Alex rolled onto her stomach to sun her backside as much as her front side. She rested her head against her folded arms, sighing blissfully.

After some time passed and Alex hadn't said anything, Bucky shaded his eyes from the sun and looked over at her. "Babygirl?"

Alex said nothing, and her face remained peacefully undisturbed.

Bucky smiled to himself. If she fell asleep, he'd leave her be...but he didn't want her to get sunburnt either. He'd give her a little more time before he'd wake her. He ran his eyes the length of her stretched-out body on the rock, admiring the black bra and pink panties she swam in. By now, he guessed both items were dry. It hadn't taken long for the sun to dry him, that was for sure. In fact, now that he had been out for a while, the pool of turquoise water below was looking better and better. Though his metal arm didn't conduct heat thanks to the Vibranium, the rest of him was plenty hot again. He'd wait a little bit before going in again and see if Alexis wanted to join.

As he lay there, his mind wandered back around to the thought of the groundskeeper, Oro. The man's face was clear in his mind's eye, but he still could not place him. It frustrated him beyond measure, especially because he felt like he'd truly seen Oro somewhere before. Or maybe it was someone who just looked like him? Maybe he used to work for Stark back in New York? That would make sense, but for whatever reason, he didn't really believe it.

Exhaling, Bucky sat up on the rock and wrapped his arms about his bent knees. Once again, he was expecting too much from himself. Alexis was right: he'd made great progress in just a handful of months. Just because he couldn't recall someone he may or may not have seen or met before didn't mean he was weak or hopeless.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a new kind of heat take over. The heat of rising anger.

He glanced over at Alexis, who remained peacefully unaware of his inner turmoil. Quietly, so as not to disturb her, he slipped off his sneakers and socks and set them off to the side of the rock. He figured a quick dip would help clear his mind, then he'd come back and wake his sleepy girl.

Bucky waded into the water, inching into its depth little by little until he was in up to his neck. Immediately he felt his body temperature cool, and in no time he returned to the state of bliss he was in before he let his mind take over. He sucked in a gulp of air and dove under the surface, wetting his hair and cooling off his face. When he reemerged, he heard Alexis' voice.

"Hey! No fair!"

He was smiling as he spun in the water, facing the rock where she now stood, hands on the curve of her perfect hips. "I was going to wake you, I promise!" he called back, his mouth breaking into a grin. "Come on in!"

From the rock, Alex dug deep in her backpack and retrieved her phone. "Say cheese!" she yelled. She held the phone up and snapped a few pictures of Bucky in the water. When he struck a few ridiculous poses, she zoomed in and snapped a few more. "Such a model!"

Alex was about to put the phone away when she saw Bucky's arms disappear beneath the surface. A second later, he lifted up a hand. In that hand was his balled-up black shorts, and on his face was a shit-eating grin.

Alex lifted her phone and snapped another photo with a laugh. "Stand up!"

His deep voice boomed off the rocks around her. "Pervert!"

"DO IT."

Bucky rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, then swam over to a shallower part of the lagoon. Alex waited, phone ready and aimed. He stood to his full height, water sloshing all around him as it ran off his arms and down the muscled pane of his torso. He lifted his hands. "There! Happy?"

Alex sighed blissfully and snapped a picture of his gloriously nude body. "God bless America" she uttered. She slipped the phone back in the backpack and then jumped into the water.

* * *

A few hours later, they were back in the Jeep and on the main stretch of highway. They had the soft top pulled back and the air blowing through the now-open Jeep, feeling freer than ever. Bucky continued to drive, one wrist resting on the steering wheel while the other hung out the window. Alex sat quietly beside him wearing his hat, the length of her ponytail pulled through the loop in the back. She stared through her sunglasses at the ocean as it flew by on their left, while lush, thick green flew by on the right. The sun and the swimming made her feel sleepy, but forced herself to pay attention. She didn't want to miss a moment of the trip.

Which, of course, included the image of Bucky beside her. She looked over, admiring the easy smile on his lips and the way the wind fluttered through his hair. When his eyes met hers, his smile grew larger. He reached over and his hand found its usual resting spot on her thigh. "Whatchya doing?"

"Thinking." She had to raise her voice a little over the sound of the sound of the Jeep and the air blowing past them.

"Thinking about what?"

"About how handsome you look driving a Jurassic Park jeep."

Bucky laughed. "You're not going to let that rest, are ya?"

"Not until you watch it" she said with a satisfied air. "But I really _was _thinking about how handsome you look right now. I gotta say: a beach vacation looks good on you, Sergeant Barnes."

He reached up and tapped the brim of the hat on her head, earning a giggle. "Thank you, darling. You look pretty good in my hat."

Alex straightened it proudly in response, beaming from ear to ear.

For a while, the view of the ocean disappeared until only green was visible on both sides of the winding road. They spotted a few humble homes dotting the landscape as they passed. Each of the homes were all one-story; painted in bright colors which made them stand out against the vivid green. The couple assumed the homes must've belonged to Tony's employees.

The stretch of homes eventually disappeared as the landscape changed once more. The Jeep climbed a small hill, the road twisting and turning as they ascended. When they reached the top and the trees cleared, they were treated to the view of the ocean stretched out below the cliffs. There was a pull-off spot on the side of the road, so the couple agreed it would be a great spot to have a late lunch.

Bucky helped Alex up onto the hood of the Jeep, where they both sat and ate the sandwiches they packed that morning. They shared a bottle of water - the fourth one they had that day, thanks to all the hiking and swimming - and sat staring out at the ocean. The sun was behind them now, lowering on the horizon behind the jagged peaks of the island's center.

"I have no idea where we're at on this island" Bucky muttered as he chewed. He looked at Alex and took another bite of his sandwich. "Do you?"

"Nope." She smiled and took a swig of water.

"Guess we'll just have to keep going and see where all this takes us."

Alex swallowed a bite and a thought came to mind. "What if we run out of gas and get stranded?"

There was a playful look in her eyes when she said this, so Bucky played along. "I'll chop down some tree branches and we can build a hut."

"Chop down branches with what, exactly?"

He reached into one of his pockets and lifted out a switchblade knife, his grin appearing when he saw Alex's eyes widen.

"You actually brought a _knife_?"

"I always bring a knife, doll."

Alex inclined her head, accepting this as the full truth that she failed to remember. She watched as he slipped the knife back into his pocket and resumed eating. "Alright, you build the hut, and I'll make the fire" she offered while passing him the water bottle. He drained a good third of it in one gulp then handed it back.

"We have other ways of staying warm, you know."

"And we'll definitely use those" Alex teased. "But I make a mean campfire. Can't let those skills go to waste."

"Oh no, never." Bucky's dimples appeared, his expression lifting. "What other survival skills do you have that I don't know about yet?"

"Not many" Alex admitted, leaning back against the windshield of the Jeep. "I know how to tie all kinds of knots, and I know first aid. That's about it." She glanced at Bucky, somewhat embarrassed. "Nothing compared to what you likely know."

"Those would come in handy if we got stranded, though" Bucky told her. He thought about it a moment longer, and curiosity lead to him to his next question. "Have you ever needed to use what you know?"

Alex remained staring off at the ocean, but her mind flashed back to lonely nights searching for criminals in and around Boston; fending for herself and making ends meet in order to do it. It wasn't so much survival skills as it was self-preservation. Her drive came from the mental gymnastics she conquered; trying to find meaning in a world where it felt like no one wanted to be anywhere near her because of her powers. "I guess you could say I did." Her eyes met his. "I use a lot of knots to end a lot of lives. I learned first aid by trying to save the innocent. And building a fire..." A wry smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. "There were a lot of cold nights spent on the shore, wondering where I would end up if I kept going."

Bucky felt the tug of guilt pull at the center of his chest. He hadn't meant to cause her pain in asking his question, but the truth was that he understood her all too well. There wasn't much that was pleasant about either of their past lives, though talking about it helped. The bond they shared in this manner was bittersweet.

A thought occurred, and it eased the heaviness Bucky felt. "You got your answer, though" he told Alex with a smile.

She inclined her head. "What do you mean?"

"You kept going, and look where you ended up." He smile at her and leaned in. "With someone who loves you." He brushed a thumb across her cheek before placing a kiss there. "Who will always protect you." He kissed the opposite cheek. "And who will always cherish you." He kissed her mouth, lingering just long enough to draw a soft moan from her.

Alex felt water stinging her eyes as she looked into the tenderness of his gaze. "Not a bad ending after all, huh?"

"Ending?" A confident smile broke across Bucky's face. "Darling, we're just getting started."

* * *

A few hours later, after the sun set and the bright colors of the day faded to the cool blue and purple hues of evening, the couple arrived back at their bungalow. Satisfied with the day but tired to the bone, Alex and Bucky shuffled into the home and flopped onto the couch with a mirrored sigh.

Alex looked wistfully towards the washroom. "I should shower, but I'm too tired to get up."

"What if I carried you?"

Their eyes met across the couch.

"Better yet," Bucky said, pushing himself off the cushions, "how about we use that massive bathtub in there?"

"Together?" Alex asked hopefully, and Bucky extended his hand.

"Together."

Alex eyed his hand, then grabbed it.

Bucky pulled her to her feet with a grin. He removed his hat from her head, tossing it on the table nearby as they went into the washroom.

The tub itself sat at the top of a set of four mosaic tiled stairs, and could have easily sat three people for how large it was. It had a series of jets dotted around the inside, which Alex couldn't wait to try out on her tired and sore body.

"How warm do you want it?" Bucky asked, testing the water rushing from the faucet with his fingers.

"A little warm, but not super hot." She peeled the clothing from her body piece by piece, then turned and inspected the new flush of pink developing on her shoulders. "Pretty sure my lovely little sunburn won't appreciate very hot water right now."

Bucky could see the little bit color on her shoulders and made a mental note to treat her to some lotion later. He also noted the mark he'd left on the back of her neck from the previous night, and he felt another twinge of guilt in his stomach. Walking up behind her, he slid his hands gently up the sides of her shoulders. "Sorry about this, by the way." He pressed a delicate kiss on the bruise, his eyes locked on to hers in the reflection of the mirror.

Alex smiled. "Never apologize for that, babe." Her eyes lowered to the white shirt and athletic shorts he was still wearing. "Now take your damn clothes off."

With a laugh, Bucky obeyed, then joined Alex inside the tub. It was full enough now that when they sunk into the water, it covered up to their chests. Bucky pushed over to one end of the tub, motioning for Alex to join him. He couldn't help but admire her as she waded towards him, her breasts rising from the bubbling water until they were eye-level with him. He pushed his bottom lip almost subconsciously when they disappeared back beneath the water. He guided Alex's hips as she settled onto his lap with her back against his chest, her legs cradled between his.

"Ahhhhh yes, this is more like it." She leaned her head back against Bucky's shoulder and sighed.

He moved the hair away from her neck, freeing up a spot that he could kiss. "Comfy?"

"Very."

"Good." Knowing she was content was all that mattered. As long as his girl was happy, he could relax as well.

Bucky exhaled deeply, and Alex felt his chest sinking behind her and his posture slumping against the tub further. For a long while they sat quietly, letting the vibration of the jets and the bubbles lull them into a tranquil state. Occasionally Bucky would play with Alex's hair; pouring handfuls of water over the back of her head and the bare part of her shoulders. Alex nearly fell asleep when he started massaging her skull with the pads of his fingers, though his sporadic kisses on the back of her neck stirred her awake again.

When his hands came to rest in the water, Alex lifted his flesh hand and entwine her fingers in his. She stared at the size of his hand compared to hers; the roughness of the skin and the small scar that adorned the knuckle of his middle finger. She always wondered where he got it, but knew that the answer might not be pretty. Like so many of the scars Bucky wore, she silently admired it and the mystery behind it.

Bucky watched with growing amusement as Alex idly studied his hand. "You're imprinting" he teased.

She felt his smile against her skin. "Guilty as charged."

"I like when you do it. Makes me feel good." Bucky snuggled his nose to her ear. "Even if it's just my boring ol' hand."

"It's a part of you" Alex said, caressing his palm with her thumb. "Strong when it needs to be; gentle other times. Skilled _all _the time." She lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed it. "Just like the rest of you."

The emotion her words stirred within Bucky left him wordless. He tightened his arms around her, holding her close as he kissed her temple. In his mind he searched for an adequate way to thank her, but everything he thought of seemed to fall short of what she deserved to hear. That was the thing about his love for Alex; words never seemed to do it justice. Nothing he said felt good enough. He was better at proving his love through his protection, support, comfort, pleasure, or whatever she needed. He'd be her rock, as she was the air in his lungs.

Alex must have thought something was wrong due to his silence. She turned her head to read his expression, worry in her large eyes. "Uh oh. Did I say something?"

A tiny smile flickered across Bucky's face. He lifted a hand to her cheek, cupping the side of her face. "No, darling. Your kindness leaves me speechless sometimes, that's all."

Alex felt her nerves settle. "That's a good thing, right?"

"It's a very good thing" he answered. He gently turned her so she was resting against his chest again. "You have nothing to worry about. Not with me." He pressed his palm on her forehead, easing her head back against his shoulder.

Bucky's touch was like a pacifier. Alex felt her body still against him, and when she felt him press a soft kiss to the back of her head, she closed her eyes. "I don't think I'm gonna make it through watching _Jurassic Park_ tonight at this rate." She felt a slight rumble come from Bucky's chest.

"Tomorrow night then" he said, hugging his arms around her center. "We have plenty of time."

Alex encircled her arms around his and settled back into his embrace. "Today was so much fun."

"It really was." He kissed her temple. "What will tomorrow bring?"

Their eyes met and they shared a smile.

* * *

Alex awoke that night to the feel of Bucky's metal hand gripping the flesh of her hip. It was dark in the bedroom, and the rumble of distant waves was the only sound that greeted her when she opened her eyes. She had been asleep on her side, her back facing Bucky, when she felt his larger body press firmly up against hers. In doing so, she also felt Bucky's hardened length pressing against her bottom. His warm breath was against her ear, his nose nuzzling her neck.

Bucky wanted her. _Needed her_. He woke up horny and her body was so warm and soft and beautiful. Visions of their bath together ran through his mind, making him want more. He rolled into her until his chest was tight against her back and his growing hard-on was nestled between the soft curve of her ass. With growing hunger, he let his hand wander along her perfection.

A shiver ran the length of Alex's spine. Bucky's touch was needful as he moved it from her hips up along the pane of her stomach to her breast, kneading one of them softly. Alex turned her head just enough to see the blue of his gaze, hungry as it stared at her mouth. "James..."

"Shhhh." He rocked his hips against hers, pressing himself against her harder. "Just enjoy."

His lips were wet and hot as they caressed her jaw. He nipped at her earlobe before moving down her neck. Each kiss was like a gentle profession. _Enjoy this._ Alex's breathing increased. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of Bucky's metal fingers rolling her nipple between between firm fingertips, pinching and pulling just enough to tease her. His hips continued to roll into her in a slow, controlled movement. With each roll of his hips, Alex wished he would enter her.

Pushing her own hips out, she exposed herself to Bucky fully. The hand that had been firmly locked on her breast slid down between her legs, testing her wetness. What he found was that his caresses and kisses had done quick work of her. It earned Alex another kiss to the back of her shoulders, even as she felt Bucky sliding the tip along her slit. It was hot against her, and Alex ached to feel its width inside.

When Bucky finally plunged inside Alex, her breath hitched. He kept his rhythm slow until her body adjusted. Her body was snug and warm around his, and it felt like coming home. He wanted to go slow tonight. He craved the feeling of her body against his, her breathing increasing as a result of his slow, methodical thrusts. He wanted every inch of her to come alive under his guidance.

When Alex gave the slightest of nods to let him know she was good, Bucky gripped on to her hip and pushed himself as deep as he could go, then slowly brought himself back out again. He kept this deliberate pace; diving into her and withdrawing at a slow and steady rate so they both felt one another to the fullest.

And still, no words were spoken. Just breathless moans and the sound of two bodies moving as one. In the darkness of the room, they didn't need to see one another; only the feelings and sensations as Bucky slowly fucked Alex, drawing a hushed moan out of her as he increased his pace only slightly.

Alex turned her head, wanting to see Bucky's beautiful face in the subdued light of the dark room. His eyes were half-lidded with lust as they found hers, and his tense smile turned up at one corner. There was a knowledge in his eyes as he gazed at her; knowledge of her body, knowledge of her love, knowledge of things between them only they knew about each other. She felt his closeness not because of the position alone, but because of their extraordinary bond.

Their locked gaze couldn't last long because Alex felt the intensity of Bucky's hips pumping into her harder, his metal hand clenched hard about her waist. His deep, guttural moans were hot against Alex's neck where Bucky pressed his mouth. He alternated between kissing along her jaw and sucking at the skin of her shoulder as he pumped his hips harder. Alex reached behind and cupped his face, drawing his full pout to hers. She wanted his moan against her mouth; she wanted to taste his intensity though his kiss.

When their lips met, Bucky's kiss was as needful as his fucking; his tongue dipping into her mouth and pulling yet another moan from her. The stubble along his jaw raked against her sensitive skin, and Alex couldn't get enough. His width slid deeper into her, spreading her, drawing moans from her with every increased thrust. She could feel how slick her thighs were from her own arousal and it only added to the closeness she felt with him in that position.

Soon, that closeness and intensity became too much for either of them to handle. Bucky reached down between Alex's legs and rolled her clit beneath his metal fingers. This sent her over the edge, her body shaking against his as he held her. He felt every shudder, every clenched wave of her body, and kissed her as she rode through her orgasm. He absorbed her moans and whimpers with his mouth, feeling himself losing his own control. Soon after, Bucky spilled himself inside Alex through his own powerful release.

Exhausted, breathless, and still without any words needed to be spoken...Bucky and Alex laid together. Bucky encircled his arms around her, kissing her, lulling her back to sleep as they remained on their sides.

The only thing spoken was Bucky's whisper, when he kissed behind Alex's ear and told her he loved her.


	4. Chapter 3

Alex smelled coffee before she even opened her eyes. The rich aroma woke her with a sense of comfort that was reminiscent of her and Bucky's mornings together back at Headquarters. She figured Bucky was out in the kitchen making himself busy while she slept, so she hurriedly left the bed to go join him. Scrounging for something to throw over her naked body, she picked up one of Bucky's t-shirts from the pile growing next to his suitcase and slipped it over her head. She was dwarfed in it, but it smelled like him and was beyond comfy.

When Alex wandered out into the kitchen, she was surprised to find it empty. Instead of her boyfriend, she found a small folded up note propped on a mug and a pot of coffee waiting for her.

She took a seat at the island counter and unfolded the paper. On it was a brief note in Bucky's weirdly-perfect cursive handwriting:

_Morning, doll. Hope you slept well. _

_Coffee is all yours. I had another dream. It wasn't great, so I went for a run to try and clear my head. I'll be back soon._

Alex sighed when she read the last part, fearing the worst. She hadn't heard Bucky get up at all during the night (then again, he successfully wore her out and put her into a delightfully deep sleep following their midnight romp)...but still, she usually had some idea he was in distress. Maybe the dream wasn't as bad as she was thinking. She hoped not anyways.

Folding the note back up, Alex reached for the coffee cup and filled it to the brim and kept it black. If Bucky was already out running, she needed to catch up to his level of energy. She also decided to surprise him with breakfast. If she knew her man, whenever he got back he'd be ravenous and likely inhale whatever she prepared.

There was a raucous clank of pots and pans, the crack of several eggs and the sizzle of sausage, and soon enough Alex had something resembling breakfast cooking on the stove. She used a few more eggs and mixed them with milk to whip up some French toast; dipping slices of bread in the mixture and laying them on the griddle.

In between sipping her coffee and managing the various pans worth of cooking food, Alex took a glance at the remaining stock of food. If there was a market somewhere - there had to be a market, right? Where did the employees get their supplies to live? - her and Bucky might want to make a stop there. She had an idea of grilling something awesome for dinner for them. In fact, she wanted to treat Bucky all day long, especially after yesterday and the night they shared.

Ten minutes passed before quick footsteps could be heard coming down the wooden boardwalk. Only Alex could sense the slightly-favored left side of that walk which always gave Bucky away. When he appeared in the doorway, he was a sweaty and beautiful mess. His dark hair was pulled back in a tight knot near the nape of his neck, the pieces that had fallen loose tucked behind his ears. He wore red shorts that hung low on his hips, the black band of his boxer briefs sticking out above the elastic band. His white sleeveless compression top was soaked with sweat and clung delightfully to his thick chest and abs. They flexed with every labored inhale and exhale as he tried to catch his breath, and all Alex could do was admire. His face was covered with sweat, right down to the smile on his lips that appeared when he saw her.

"You're awake!" There was excitement in his voice, but his eyes dropped immediately to the t-shirt covering Alex's body. Seeing her in his t-shirt always left him feeling a sense of pride. He loved seeing her like this: comfortable and relaxed and covered in _him. _It made him feel even better than he already did. He gave Alex a sweaty kiss, which she accepted with a smile.

"Already finishing my first cup" she told him. "Thank you for making coffee, by the way."

"My pleasure." Bucky's hands went to his waist as he tried to catch his breath. He surveyed the room, his gaze turning to the pans on the stove followed by a quick lift of his brow. "French toast?"

"Figured I'd treat you this morning." A hint of her smirk was visible over the rim of her mug. "Especially after _your _treat last night." She reached out and tickled his abs a little, teasing him for the unexpected middle-of-the-night sex.

A subtle smile appeared on Bucky's face. There was a hint of bashfulness in his eyes, but it was clearly mixed with pride. "Glad you enjoyed it." He cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a forehead kiss. "I know I sure did."

Alex was well aware. It was rare, especially for Bucky, to initiate something as passionate and heavy as last night in the middle of the night. He never slept all that well, and when he did, he slept like the dead. There were plenty of times where Alex awoke next to him and eyed his bulky, naked body with a hunger she wanted to immediately satiate. Instead, she tried to always let him sleep, knowing she'd still be just as horny in the morning and could take action then. As such, last night had been a delightful change of pace and left her feeling relaxed and content.

Even as she settled onto her stool, she could feel a lingering pressure between her legs where Bucky had been only hours before. With thoughts of their heated session still in her mind, Alex took a sip of coffee and tried to steer her mind in a different direction. "Now what about this dream of yours?"

Bucky leaned over the island with a shrug. "It wasn't as bad as the other one," he said, eyes meeting hers. Trails of sweat ran down his forehead to his brow, which he wiped with the back of his hand. "The run helped, for what it was worth."

"Was it about Russia again?"

"It was." He clenched his metal fist, his jaw tightening in frustration. "I don't know why it keeps happening, and _now _of all times. I don't want them to interfere with our trip when it's been so good so far."

Alex's shoulders sunk a little. "Don't think like that, James. You know I don't mind. Doesn't matter if it happens on vacation or during a mission or just a regular Saturday back in New York." She reached across the island and placed her hand on his clenched one, easing apart his fingers. When his palm relaxed open, she entwined her fingers in his.

The small gesture seemed to ease him. The broad pane of his shoulders relaxed at her touch, and the tense muscles of his neck softened. He lifted her hand in his to his lips and kissed it. "This is why you're the best." When he said this, a bit of alarm appeared on his face and he stood up. "Shit, I almost forgot. I brought you back something."

A confused smile spread across Alex's face. "From your run?"

"Just something little. Nothing fancy." Bucky was all aglow as he said this, and any notion of distress from his nightmare disappeared. Alex studied him curiously as he reached into the pocket of his shorts and lifted out something concealed within his closed fist. "Hand out" he told her, his smile shining.

Alex extended an open palm over the island and waited, feeling a little flutter in her belly. Bucky never took his eyes off her as he dropped a single, flawless, pearlescent colored seashell into her hand.

"I know it's just a shell and all" he said, his eyes turning hopeful, "but it caught my eye, and it was pretty. I thought you might like it."

Alex placed a hand on her chest, her smile mixing with soft laughter. She stared down at the seashell, unable to help the _aww _face she made in that moment. Its exterior was curved like a swirled cone, its color milky white with a mix of blue and pink. Whenever she turned it in her hand, it caught the light and reflected a different shade. Its beauty was simple, but the thoughtfulness behind it meant so much more to her. "This might be the cutest gift you've ever given me" Alex told him. She pushed off the stool and threw her arms around his neck, feeling his sweat permeate through her tank top. "I love it. _And_ you."

The hug lasted only a moment before Alex pulled away. She squeezed the taut muscles of Bucky's lower back excitedly. "Listen — why don't we just have a relaxing day in today. We can eat breakfast, shower together, fuck, take naps, swim, eat lunch, fuck some more..."

Bucky began to chuckle. "That's quite the list of activities. You sure you're up for all that?" He lifted one of his eyebrows coyly.

"We can skip swimming, I guess." She tightened her arms around his waist and stared into eyes. "So...you in?"

"Oh I'm in, alright" Bucky replied. "A relaxing day in sounds great to me right now."

"I also want to cook dinner for us later, too - but we're desperately in need of supplies." Alex inclined her head. "Any ideas on how we fix that?"

"We need a store." Bucky considered this for a moment. "I don't really remember Stark saying anything about a store."

"But there has to be one nearby, right?"

"You would think so." He tried to recall all the random shit Stark told him before they took off for the island, but him mentioning a grocery store didn't ring a bell. It was more likely that Stark told him and he was too excited to hear. "Alright, whaddya say we venture out just once?" Bucky suggested. "I'll take the Jeep back, you find the store, _then _we'll come back and do all those things you listed off." He pushed a bit of hair back from Alex's shoulder and kissed her neck. "Beginning first with the obvious."

The feel of his lips on her neck caused a welcomed warmth to spread from Alex's stomach down between her legs. She felt Bucky's arousal growing as well as it pressed against her thigh, the heat of it transferring to her own skin. "You better stop before you get ahead of yourself, Soldier."

The tickle of his laugh was warm and inviting against her neck. "You're probably right." He pulled back, a hint of guilt lighting up his grin. "I can't help myself with you."

"Clearly." She palmed his semi-stiff dick through his shorts and heard the slightest intake of air. It was gratifying to know that just the touch of her hand on his growing hard-on could make his breath hitch, even after everything they'd done together. If there was anything she loved more in this new life of hers, it was how easily she made Bucky melt in her own hands.

"Okay, now you're just being mean" Bucky growled, his voice deepening.

Alex backed away and took her needy hands with her. "You're right. You should go shower."

Bucky looked down at himself, unaware of just how sweaty and gross he really was. He looked at Alex and made a face. "Do I smell?"

"Of course you do."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot."

Alex patted him on the stomach lovingly. "I like you all sweaty and smelly, remember?" She watched him roll his eyes again and then laughed. "Go shower. By the time you're done, breakfast will be too - then we'll take the Jeep back."

"Deal." Bucky walked backwards, bouncing on his toes as he went. "See you in 5 minutes."

He turned and jogged the rest of the distance to the bathroom and Alex stood watching, shaking her head. James Buchanan Barnes was part soldier, part super hero, and part child all in one overgrown, sexy body. She didn't know which part she adored most, but when she looked down at the shell still in her hand, she had a pretty clear idea which was in the lead at the moment.

* * *

After breakfast, Bucky and Alexis took the Jeep back to the main building in hopes that Heilani was working again. Much to their relief, they found her standing behind the counter of the lobby desk and talking to the mother of the young girl they saw the day before. The little one stood at the woman's hip next to another young girl who appeared just a few years older. They shared the same jet black hair and tan skin, though the older girl's eyes were a bright hazel-green color.

All four sets of eyes turned in Bucky and Alex's direction when they entered, and the youngest girl's smile was almost instantaneous.

"Mommy, look!" She tugged on the hem of her mother's skirt, though the woman was already staring at the couple as they approached.

Heilani's warm smile welcomed them first. "Good morning Bucky and Alexis! _Maita'i oe!_ How was your excursion yesterday?"

Alex glanced at Bucky, who stepped towards the desk first. "It was amazing, Ma'am. So much so that I think we're planning on just staying at the bungalow today" he told her. "We'll hand over the Jeep for now, then just come back and grab it again if we need it."

With this, Bucky met the gazes of the mother and her two daughters. He couldn't help but smile, especially when the littlest girl waved her small hand at him again.

"And who might you be?" Bucky asked the little girl.

Heilani lifted a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced you all!" She seemed flustered that she hadn't done it right away, especially when she came around the end of the desk and lifted a hand to her friend. "This is Kiona, another of Mr. Stark's employees and a dear friend of mine. And these two young ladies are her daughters: Millie and Lana."

Before Alex or Bucky could even say anything, Kiona's hand was extended. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet some of Mr. Stark's friends. We've met _him _of course, and his wife...but none of the others on your team."

Bucky was the first to shake her hand, followed by Alexis. Lana, the older of the two girls, stepped forward. Her hazel eyes shone eagerly when she looked up at both Bucky and Alex. She was at the age where she was beginning to get tall and gangly, but still had that childlike air of innocence about her.

"You are Avengers" she said. It wasn't quite a question, but more of a awed statement. "And you're Captain America's best friend! The Winter Soldier, right?"

Both of Bucky's eyebrows rose. His eyes met Alex's, whose expression lifted at the little girl's recognition. "That's right, I am" he told Lana. "But you can call me Bucky, if you'd like."

"Hi, Bucky." The girl seemed pleased, but never more so than when she turned to Alexis. "And you're Replica! I think you are _so_cool."

Alex paused, her smile turning confused. "Replica?!" She looked at Bucky before turning back to the girls. "What do you mean _replica_?"

"That's your name, isn't it?" Lana cocked her head. "That's what my sister and I call you, anyway. You're a new Avenger. Not an original, like Captain America."

Bucky folded his arms over his chest, his entire frame turning in Alex's direction. Alex stared at him, seeing the way his smile was broadening. He was awaiting her response as much as Lana and Millie were, but she honestly didn't know what to say. She didn't have a super hero name; not that she knew of, anyways. She was just Alexis Markos, the mutant, the one who could mirror all the others.

Lana and Millie stood there blinking, awaiting a response. Alex turned to Lana and gave her a smile. "So...you think my super hero name is Replica, huh? I think that's a pretty good name, don't you, Winter Soldier?" She looked at Bucky, who nodded.

"A _great _name" he agreed.

"It's because you can do anything any of the other Avengers can" Lana answered. Her small body seemed to stand straighter as she said it, her chin lifting a little. "I think your super power is really cool. _And_you're really pretty."

Alex uttered a surprised laugh. "That's very kind of you, Lana. Thank you."

Kiona stepped in, her hands going to each of her daughter's shoulders. "We know your real name is Alexis, of course - but you know how kids are."

"But _mom_, they said her name was Replica on the news!" Lana countered. Her hazel eyes turned back to Alex. "It's okay if we call you that, right?"

"I think it's more than okay" Alex told her kindly. And it was the truth, too. Alex was taken aback by everything she was hearing, She wasn't used to having 'fans', and was surprised that two little girls on the other side of the world, so far from the Avengers compound and most of their mission locations, had even heard of them. She never considered that kids around the world would see the news or read articles about them online and all the things she and the team did for the planet. The realization left her humbled.

Kiona nudged her youngest daughter. "Millie, why don't you show Bucky what you made him?"

Bucky heard this and his brow bent. He was about to argue the need for any kind of gift, but Millie was already in motion. On the girl's back was a pink backpack with a Disney princess on it which she slipped off her back and began to rummage through.

Kiona looked between the couple and smiled. "She made this last night after seeing you. She couldn't wait to give it to you when she saw you again."

Millie lifted out a piece of white paper. She walked over to Bucky and handed it to him with a large smile. "I drew a picture for you."

Bucky took the paper from her, feeling a sense of humbled astonishment well inside his chest. On the paper were two stick figures; one with a shield, the other with a silver arm. On the silver arm was a giant star scribbled in red crayon. Done in the charming crudeness of a child's hand, it wasn't very straight, nor was it very precise, but it was evident who was who in the picture.

When Alex saw the drawing, she felt her entire soul melt. She glanced over at Bucky, who remained staring down at the paper. The corner of his mouth lifted, but Alex could tell he was struggling to find his voice.

"This is..." Bucky shook his head, his eyes lifting to the women before him. "This is the nicest thing I've ever gotten. Thank you, Millie."

Lana elbowed her sister and giggled, and Millie's eyes grew three sizes in excitement. "Do you like it?"

Bucky's smile was every bit as large as his heart felt in that moment. "I _love _it. I'm gonna bring this back to New York with me and hang it up somewhere I see it everyday."

"Really?!" the girls echoed.

He gave them a nod. "Really."

Kiona and Heilani both broke into smiles of their own. Their appreciation for Alex and Bucky's kindness knew no bounds, but the thrill that was evident on both of Kiona's daughter's faces was all that needed to be said. "Thank you so much, you two. This means a lot to them."

Alex waved a casual hand. "We're happy to know we have such young admirers." She raised an eyebrow at Lana playfully. "Especially ones that give us nicknames."

Bucky looked down at the paper again and felt one of Alex's hands rubbing the low of his back. When he met Alex's gaze, he could see the warmth in the deep color of her eyes. Their shared moment with the girl's was the first of this kind for each of them, and they were experiencing it together. There was a gleam in their eyes as they smiled at one another.

"I'm sorry to take up so much of your time, when all you wanted to do was bring Mr. Stark's car back" Kiona said apologetically. "C'mon, little ones. Lets leave the Avengers to their day."

Alex and Bucky tried to argue, but Kiona wasn't having it. It was all good-natured, of course; it hardly seemed possible for any of the employees they encountered thus far to be anything but kindhearted. Nonetheless, Kiona and her girls bid everyone a wonderful day and then they all took leave. Millie gave one final wave to Bucky, and he returned the gesture with a big smile.

"So you'd like to return the Jeep?" Heilani asked, getting them back on track.

Bucky's mind was already running. "Yeah, uh, actually - is Oro around? Is he down in the garage, or elsewhere on the property?"

Alex cast a glance in Bucky's direction, confused as to why he was asking about the groundskeeper. Bucky merely gave her a little eyebrow raise and a smile before giving his attention back to Heilani.

"I believe he should be in the garage." Heilani gave a few clicks on her computer and then nodded. "Yes, the schedule says he'll be around the main grounds today. Did you wish to speak with him?"

"Just wanted to let him know the tank's a little low on gas." Bucky tapped the counter. "Also, is there a store around here where we could pick up a few things?"

Heilani proceeded to give them directions to the market, which was only a short walk away from the building they stood in. They thanked her and headed back out to the Jeep, where Alex grabbed her backpack and sunglasses. She gave Bucky a quick peck on the cheek before he hopped into the driver's seat. "Want anything specific from the store?"

"Nah. Surprise me, babe." He turned the ignition as Alex closed the door for him.

"Meet you back at the bungalow then!" she said with a wave. She watched as he pulled away in the Jeep, then headed off down the paved path in the direction of the market.

Bucky eyed Alex's slender figure in his rear-view mirror, watching as she walked away from the Jeep and disappeared behind the building. He felt his heartbeat begin to accelerate, knowing that he fibbed just a little about talking to Oro regarding gas in the Jeep's tank. While the tank _was _getting close to empty, it wasn't the reason Bucky wanted to find Oro again. He wanted to find Oro because he had to know why he recognized him. Something inside his gut told him he had to know; that finding out his identity was important. Maybe if he asked Oro, it would help jog his mess of a memory.

Pulling the Jeep around to the entrance of the garage, Bucky pressed his flesh thumb up to the screen and waited. The beauty of being anywhere Stark had any influence meant he could get access to just about anywhere Stark could, including the underground garage on his private island. In no time, the large paneled doors opened and Bucky entered into the massive storage area where more than one Jeep was stored, along with a few other of Tony's favorite toys: a selection of motorcycles, convertibles, and one large SUV.

Pulling slowly along the line of vehicles, Bucky found an open space and parked the Jeep. He didn't immediately see Oro anywhere, but he figured the entrance security panel would tip off anyone monitoring the grounds. In all his experience, high-security garages of this kind always had some kind of small office where the human security component sat waiting and watching security monitors in the event the technology component failed.

With this in mind, Bucky climbed out of the vehicle and double-checked the Jeep was locked before setting off. He walked along the line of vehicles down to the far end of the garage, looking for a door or an exit that might lead to Oro's office. Instead, he found was another security panel. He placed his thumb on the screen and let the green and blue lights acknowledge his print before a discreet door on the wall slid open. On the other side of the door was a short hallway, which Bucky took until he encountered another security panel. He pressed his thumb to the panel and waited. When it opened, the other side gave him exactly what he was looking for: a security member's office, complete with a single desk, a mini fridge, and at least a dozen security monitors displaying different angles of the property.

After a glance over his shoulder, Bucky stepped inside the small office. He was surprised at how impeccably clean it was, though it smelled faintly of freshly cut grass mixed with oil. A series of white binders stood stacked on a shelf behind the desk. He ran his eyes over the labeled spines, most of which were maintenance manuals. So far, nothing within the office jogged his memory as to who Oro was, or if he'd met him before.

With some resignation, Bucky headed back out into the garage. He passed by the row of vehicles and found the stairwell that would lead him back above ground when a voice halted him in his tracks.

"Come in search of something specific, Mr. Barnes?"

Bucky heard Oro's voice and felt the hairs on his neck stand up. He turned, seeing the groundskeeper emerge from the shadows in the garage. "Oro?"

The man stood before him, looking pale and dirty in the same pair of work clothes he wore the day before. When he smirked, there was a strange sense of familiarity behind it. "Come now. You don't remember?"

This statement caused Bucky's suspicion to heighten. He reached desperately into his memory's muddied depths, trying to place the name or the face of the man before him. It felt like it was on the tip of his tongue, but it was also just out of his reach. "I'm sorry if we've met and I don't remember. You seem familiar, but my memory isn't what it used to be."

"Oh I know." With this, Oro's smile grew larger. "I can see in your eyes there is a..._longing_...to remember."

Bucky froze. The way he said that. The emphasis in his tone. "I'm sorry?"

"Your memory" Oro replied. "It's not what it used to be. One might say it is a bit _rusted_."

Something in the back of Bucky's neck clicked. He rolled his head, trying to make the sensation go away. He kept his eyes on Oro's, their gray color focusing on him like he was the only person in the world who existed to him.

Those gray eyes.

Bucky knew them.

"You know who I am, you just refuse to acknowledge me" Oro continued. His voice dipped to a new level, his pale face seeming more sunken in than before. His smile was abrasive enough that his cheeks seemed hollowed and gaunt in the yellow light of the garage. "You were only _seventeen _when you came to the lab, though we met decades later. About the same time you met the others. A shame you don't remember."

_Seventeen. _

Saliva thickened in Bucky's mouth.

_Longing.  
__Rusted.  
__Seventeen._

His heart began to race, its beat uneven and frantic inside his chest.

_No no no no no. _

Bucky's stomach tightened. Something about this wasn't right. None of it felt right. He turned and began to walk away, but heard Oro's quickened footsteps following behind.

"Mr. Barnes, it seems you've done a fairly good job at forgetting exactly who I am to you. Or rather, who I _was _to you," he persisted. "I do wonder, though - if I continued, would you remember then?"

Bucky closed his eyes and increased his speed. "Stop following me." His voice was so harsh he hardly recognized it as his own.

"Why? Didn't you come down here to see why you couldn't remember me yesterday?"

He grit his teeth, willing the voice to go away. The sound echoed in his mind; a memory that had been buried deep but was now steadily rising to the surface. Sweat began to mark his forehead as his body reacted, even though his mind couldn't.

"Would there be a _daybreak _in your subconscious if I continued, Mr. Barnes?"

_Daybreak._

Bucky halted. The bones in his neck clicked again, and he felt a pounding begin in the center of his forehead. He ran his flesh hand over his face, willing the pain to subside. "I'm sorry, Oro, but-"

"-My name is not Oro and you know it."

Silence settled within the concrete garage. Turning around, Bucky met the spiteful gaze of the man. He stared him down, wishing he could wipe that sneering smirk off his face. He wanted to squeeze his neck until those familiar gray eyes popped out of his head. Every instinct inside his body told him to attack, but that wasn't who he was anymore. Instead, he tried to breathe. He inhaled slowly, then exhaled slowly. In his turbulent mind, he heard Alexis' words of comfort talking to him, telling him to just breathe.

"You remember, Mr. Barnes" Oro spoke, his voice cutting the cold silence. "And if not, you will remember soon. All it takes is a few little words to jog that mush pile of yours that you call a brain."

Anger flared hot inside Bucky. So much so that his metal hand flexed, wanting to grab Oro and not let go until he watched the life drain from him.

_Breathe.  
__Inhale.  
__Exhale.  
__Get out._

Bucky turned, leaving Oro behind. While Oro didn't follow, he did watch after Bucky as he made for the stairwell exit door.

"You'll remember soon enough, Mr. Barnes" Oro called to him. "You'll remember our little meetings in Siberia soon enough. I have no doubt."

_Siberia. _

Bucky's hand was on the door handle when a shot of ice traveled the length of his spine to the base of his head. A thousand needles throttled his mind as the past came rushing back to him, nearly knocking the air from his lungs. The fingers he had wrapped around the door handle began to tremble as dread overtook him.

He turned his head and looked at Oro.

The memory was clear now.  
He knew where he'd seen Oro before.

* * *

Alexis found the store on the property and couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. She supposed she was completely enthralled by the scenery on their initial drive in from the private airstrip when they landed on the island, causing her to miss it and several other little shops on the way. All in all though, the store was pretty obvious, and she was somewhat embarrassed she missed it before.

Once inside, she decided right away that the entire market was adorably quaint. It had everything she needed, and even a few things she wanted. She picked up some vegetables, a few pieces of fresh fish to grill, and some fruit for desert - all of it locally sourced from the island itself. She couldn't wait to try it. All the items totaled two bags worth, which were easy to carry back to the bungalow.

As she walked, Alex tried to take in the smells and sounds of the short journey. Tropical birds chirped in the trees above while a cool breeze ruffled the tall palms. Looking out past the boardwalk and the bungalow, clouds were gathering on the horizon. Their dark bottoms cast a pale shadow over the extent of the ocean, making the water appear more ominous than usual. If it was going to rain, today would be the best day for it since her and Bucky were staying in. Maybe it would make it even cozier. _Sexier_. The thought of rain on the ocean in a private bungalow actually made Alex tingle in anticipation. She hoped it would actually happen.

When she hit the boardwalk, she increased her pace the rest of the way to the bungalow, excited to start relaxing with her boyfriend. She pushed open the screen door with her hip, swinging the bags inside only to come to a complete halt when she saw Bucky sitting on the couch. He sat bent over his legs, his fingers sunk deep in his hair and his face pointed at the floor. When he looked up, the broad, handsome angles of his face were drawn and tight. The friendly look that was normally in his large eyes was now replaced with a look of dread.

"James?!" Alex put the bags down slowly, her eyes never leaving him. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Bucky's breathing shuddered so hard his chest shook. His hands sunk deeper in his hair, grabbing the strands as if he was in pain. Alex went to him and immediately dropped to her knees. She cupped his face in her hands and felt just how anxious he truly was. Touching him awoke her powers, their energy roaring to life inside her. She could sense his distress and his fear as if it were her own, and it scared her. "Talk to me. Tell me what happened."

"It's Oro." His voice was as rough as gravel.

"The groundskeeper?"

Bucky exhaled and nodded. "I recognized him yesterday. I didn't know why, or where I'd seen him, but something about him felt familiar. When I returned the Jeep, I ran into him. Now I know. His name isn't Oro at all. It's _Boroshka_."

Alex felt waves of scattered energy emitting from Bucky through her powers. The ocean hues of his eyes darkened with the pain he felt, his breathing still shallow and ragged. "Where do you know him from, then?" she asked, still caressing his face. She watched as the light within his eyes died completely.

"Siberia."

It was only one word, but Alex knew everything that word, that _place_, encompassed. It was where Bucky was forced to train other soldiers like himself, under pain of torture and strict ruling by Hydra's worst. It's where he had to watch others be taken from their lives and turned into instruments of destruction against their will. It's where he had to train those poor individuals, while also being wiped and restarted over and over again himself.

"We need to call Tony." She reached for her backpack to retrieve her phone, but Bucky grabbed her by the wrist.

"No."

Alex searched his troubled gaze. "But we have to tell him one of his employees is-"

"_No we don't_." Bucky stared at her, the fullness of his bottom lip now a strained, thin line. "We do _not _tell Tony."

Alex lowered the backpack to the ground, suddenly afraid of the short tone he was using with her. "Okay, we don't tell him. But please - help me understand why." Bucky's hand stayed locked around her wrist to the point it began to hurt. She rolled it in his hand, letting him know he was still holding on to her. As if in a daze, Bucky looked down as though he didn't realize his own strength. He unlocked his grip as fear bloomed in his eyes.

"I'm sorry" he said, his voice completely changing.

She rubbed her wrist, aware of the strength the man in front of her had at his disposal. Bucky never hurt her, would _never _hurt her, but moments like this made her realize the degree of power he was constantly curbing. "It's okay. Just breathe, alright? Tell me what happened."

Bucky hesitated, fearing he'd hurt her. Only after Alex stopped rubbing her wrist did he begin his account of the events that took place in the underground garage. He barely held Alex's gaze as he did so, looking either at the floor or his own hands. Alex felt her breath suspend in her chest when he mentioned that Oro knew his activation words; the words he worked so hard to overcome and fight against. Anger churned in her blood. She would forever despise Hydra for everything she'd seen and learned on her own personal missions, but most of all for what they did to Bucky for decades. Nothing sat rotting in her heart more than the hate she felt for Hydra.

As Bucky finished, his eyes finally rose. "I went down there in search of him" he admitted. "I shouldn't have, but I had to know who he was."

"And now that you know, what will you do?"

"I have to kill him."

Alex blinked. "James..."

"No, Alexis."

"But..."

"No."

There was no room for argument in his answer. There was nothing Alex could say or do and she knew it. Bucky's entire body was a knot of intense pressure; a tight coil ready to spring. He was in defense mode, and there was only one defense he knew when it came to the people who tortured him.

Understanding this, Alex gave him a firm nod. "Okay then."

Bucky's eyebrows rose. "...okay?"

"If you're doing this, I'm doing it with you." Alex traced along the strong line of his jaw, the feeling of his beard rough beneath her fingers. "We're a team, right?"

The corner of Bucky's mouth ticked upward ever so slightly. "Yes."

"Then I'm going to help you."

The dark cloud that surrounded him seemed to lessen. The way he'd been holding his shoulders and his back began to ease, and the muscle in his jaw finally unclenched. Alex felt a subtle change in the way her powers wrapped around his energy, signaling that he had finally begun to relax.

"And don't you dare say it's too dangerous for me to join." She lifted a finger to his face, half in jest and half in sincerity. This got him to smile just a fragment larger than before.

"I was about to."

"I know. I know you well enough by this point."

Bucky wrapped his hand around Alex's finger and lowered it. His touch was suddenly full of the tenderness Alex was used to, but beneath the surface lingered a layer of stress she could feel through her powers. He stared down at the faint white light that danced around her hand, connecting their energies through her strange powers. "You aren't even going to question why I want to kill him? Why _that _was my first reaction?" He lifted his gaze, worry settling into the tiny lines etched around his eyes.

"I don't need to" Alex answered simply. "I know what they've done to deserve it."

A shadow passed over Bucky's face. "You want to know what _he _did to me? What I remember _him _doing?"

"You don't have t-"

"-He electrocuted me. Repeatedly. While I stood in water."

The image in Alex's mind caused her stomach to buckle with nausea. She did her best not to show it, especially since Bucky's expression remained still as stone.

"That man...Boroshka...he forced me to do it to others. I stood there and electrocuted innocent men and women the same way he electrocuted me. He injected me with a burning solution if I..." He winced at the memory. "...if I didn't do it well enough."

Bile stung the back of Alex's throat. She cupped Bucky's face hard, forcing his eyes to come back from the memory and focus on her instead. "Listen to me, James. Don't let him get inside your head. You _beat _him. You beat _all of them. _And you'll beat him again; only it'll be for the last time. This time, you won't be alone."

Bucky only shook his head, his eyes lowering once more. "You're too good to me" he uttered softly.

Alex leaned forward between his long legs, hands braced on his thighs, until her mouth joined with his. At first he was rigid, his tongue hesitant against hers before he relaxed into her embrace. He exhaled hard as he found solace in her, and soon he was melding together with her as he always did. Her kiss was the comfort he needed to heal his broken heart and mind. Time and time again, the love and support Bucky craved in this lifetime he always found in Alexis. Her unwavering support made him feel invincible; like he could take on anyone or anything in this world with her. At the same time, he also felt unworthy of her love. He fought against this feeling, remembering that he deserved love just as much as the next person. It was something he worked on, but it was difficult to remember in times when he couldn't believe the person he once was. Alexis' love was proof he wasn't that man anymore, but he still felt unworthy of her.

When their kiss ended and their eyes met, Alex placed an additional, single kiss to his lips. "Now...we need a plan."

Bucky exhaled a defeated sigh. "I'm not sure what kind of plan we can make when my knife is our only weapon."

Alex rose to her feet. "Hold that thought." She ran a hand through his long hair, giving him a smile before she headed for the bedroom.

Bucky watched as she lifted her suitcase onto their bed and flipped open the top. She rifled through the clothes inside, digging to the bottom for something he couldn't see. When she turned and faced him, his expression lifted in utter surprise.

"_You _always bring a knife." Alex cocked her 9 millimeter handgun in one hand, while the other settled on her hip. "And _I _always bring a gun."

A full grin spread across Bucky's face. "How many rounds?"

"Enough."

He shook his head again, only this time he was laughing. "Now we're getting somewhere." He stood to his full height, feeling stiff and tired from the stress of the past hour. He met Alex in the middle of the room, his eyes lowering to inspect the gun. He recognized it as the one she usually carried; the one that stayed in the thigh holster of her uniform, the one she reached for first on every mission. Bucky supposed she brought it on the trip because she felt naked without it, much like he did without his knife.

"We may need more than what this can give" Bucky noted, eyeing her weapon. "Boroshka is highly trained, no matter how unassuming he looks now."

Alex tucked the gun behind her back between the waistband of her shorts. "If it comes down to it, I'll do a transfer with you. Then I'll have all your skills, plus my own."

Bucky hesitated. "But we've never really tried that?"

"It won't be like the first time we tried it. Not after everything that's happened between us." Alex's hand lowered to clasp his. "Trust me?"

"I do." He wiped back a piece of her hair, feeling his heart connect with hers in a way that was both strangely intimate and frightening to him. "But do you trust me? Enough to do a full transfer?"

"What do I have to be afraid of?"

"You know _everything _about me."

"That's why I trust you" Alex replied, her smile calming his nerves.

In the months they'd been together, they had crossed many boundaries together, some of which were things most normal couples never encountered. They'd been inside one another's minds and inside one another's bodies, but on a deeper, supernatural level. With Alex's powers, they shared a bond no one else could share. There was nothing they could hide from one another, least of all themselves.

Bucky's hands moved to the sides of Alex's neck, his thumbs resting on her jaw. "If we do this" he began, "we do it without telling the team. Without telling Stark. Without anyone knowing. We remove Boroshka from the entire equation. Maybe he knows something about Stark. Maybe he's plotting something. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out. The way he made a point to use the words back in the garage?" He shook his head. "There's no way this guy is here by coincidence."

Alex couldn't agree more. "Let's find out why he's here...and then let's kill him."

The confidence in her voice palpable, but it was the subtle way her mouth moved to form a smirk and the way she stared at him with those naturally seductive eyes that turned Bucky's fear and anguish into a twisted sort of lust. He drew her in, his mouth latching on to hers. He dipped his tongue into her mouth and groaned when he felt how eagerly she kissed him back. His girl really did want to join him in this singular manhunt. It perplexed him, but it also left him feeling beyond grateful. Just knowing she was there with him, supporting him and loving him like she did, he felt his groin tighten in response. At the end of the day, Bucky knew he and Alex were soul mates. Lovers. Partners. Teammates.

But they were also killers.

Between them ran an undercurrent to take down those that hurt others; to end anyone that spread pain throughout the world for no reason but to feed their own sinister egos. The hurt of their pasts drove them, but the hope they worked to create for their futures only strengthened the bond they already shared.

When Alex came up for air, she smiled against Bucky's mouth. "We make quite the pair, don't we?"

He nuzzled her nose beneath half-lidded eyes. "We do. In so many ways." His lips enclosed around hers. "I'm so proud to call _Replica_ my girl."

Alex broke out in laughter, and for a moment Bucky forgot everything that troubled him in just the sound of her happiness.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, I admit...I always wondered what Alexis' "super hero" name would be if she had one. I thought long and hard about it, and this seemed like a good fit. And who better to let her know what it was than a little girl who looked up to her? :) I hope you liked the little addition. It was fun to write, and the girls may play a larger part in the story as it unfolds. Also, how hot is Bucky? #Understatement, I know! haha. Thanks for all the support so far, my friends! **


	5. Chapter 4

The rain moved onshore just an hour after Alex and Bucky had their discussion and it poured nonstop for the rest of the day. Heavy raindrops hammered against the thatched roof of the bungalow and along the boardwalk, providing a steady, rhythmic melody that was ever-present throughout the remainder of their day.

Bucky stood near the now-closed wall of the bedroom, staring out the windows as rain pounded against the glass. Long lines of water gushed off the roof onto the deck, splashing irregularly before running back into the ocean. He peered sightlessly at the water, its turbulent depth sloshing and heaving around the bungalow's stilts. His thoughts were no different at that moment. They churned as heavily as the ocean did.

From her vantage point in the kitchen, Alex could tell Bucky was still troubled by what transpired with Oro. Even with his back turned, she could see the taut lines of his back and shoulders as he stood at the window not really looking at anything in particular. Yes, they had a plan now; one they were both committed to seeing through to the end. Preparing for things seemed to have helped him a bit. But from where she currently stood, it was easy to see that every ounce of Bucky's body still appeared tense.

Knowing what worked for her in the past in moments like these, Alex decided to treat herself and Bucky to a little of Tony's well-stocked liquor stash. Bottles of varying sizes and designs greeted Alex when she took a look at what was available, and was elated to find an aged Irish whiskey they could both share. She filled two crystal tumblers, then snuck an initial taste just to test it. It was good. _Real _good.

Tumblers in hand, she walked over to the stone-still figure of Bucky, signaling her presence with a brush of her fingers on his back.

He turned and smiled. "Hey."

She offered him one of the tumblers. "I think we could use a drink right now."

Bucky took his gladly, hooking an arm around Alex's waist when she leaned into him. He lifted the glass to his nose, inhaling the rich scent of oak and wood of the alcohol. "Where'd you find this?"

"Stark's private collection. I figured he wouldn't mind if we sampled a little."

The tiny smile Bucky gave her brightened his entire face. He shifted his eyes back to the stormy scene beyond the window and let out a wistful sigh. "Kind of mesmerizing out there, isn't it?"

"The ocean?"

"The ocean. The storm. Everything." He took a swig of the honey-colored liquid and let it sit on his tongue a moment before swallowing. It tasted like better times. Better days. Given everything that had happened, he could have downed the entire glass in one gulp.

"I thought the very same thing earlier on the way back from the market" Alex admitted. "I thought if the rain came it would make for a pretty romantic day inside."

Bucky studied her. "It's not romantic now?"

She shrugged, eyes lowering to her drink. "It's hard to pretend everything's okay when it isn't."

Bucky tightened his knuckles around the glass. Everything with Oro - _Boroshka - _seemed to have changed the entire tone of their vacation. He wished it hadn't. He _hated _that it did. It was the last thing he wanted to happen, and it made him angry.

Throwing caution to the wind, Bucky downed the rest of the whiskey and set the glass on a nearby surface. He wrapped two fingers around Alex's chin and lifted her gaze. "I know it's my fault that this trip had turned upside down..."

Alex made a face. "James-"

"-Just listen. Please." He begged her with his eyes. "I know we agreed to a plan earlier, but we agreed it would begin tomorrow. We should be enjoying today while we still have it. I mean, look outside: the rain is practically forcing us to keep our original plan."

There was a faint curve to Alex's lips when he said this. She looked at him with consideration, her dark eyes surveying the rain and the bungalow as if in a new light. "You don't think it's wrong to talk about killing someone and then proceed to watch Jurassic Park and stuff our faces?"

Bucky leveled with her. "Doll, we're _Avengers_. This is what we do. We go out, we take care of the bad guys, and we come back to reality. Whatever that is."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "So level-headed all of a sudden" she said, pride growing for the handsome, mindful man in front of her.

"What can I say? You rub off on me." Bucky's smile was immediate when Alex broke into laughter. The sound of it made all his worries and apprehensions vanish into thin air. "C'mere" he said, pulling her flush against his chest. "I just don't want us to waste any time we have here. You get that, right?"

"Of course I do." She sank deeper into his arms as he tightened them protectively around her, the plates of his metal arm shifting near her ear. She rested her cheek between the muscular panes of his chest and closed her eyes. "You have a point, though. Why let the asshole ruin one more day?"

"Especially when we already promised one another today would be our day to relax inside." Bucky smoothed his hand along the back of Alex's head. His touch was possessive, but also protective. Alexis was his everything, and he held on to her like the precious treasure she was. As long as Boroshka was safely away from them and their bungalow, he wanted today to proceed as normally as possible. He would take it upon himself to make sure it did.

"I can literally hear you thinking," Alex muttered against his chest. She shifted her eyes upward to see Bucky's coy smile staring back at her.

"I'm trying to decide if we begin the rest of this day with the movie, the food, the fucking, or all three?"

"Oh, all three for sure." Alex looked away shyly. "Though you _did_ promise me the movie."

Bucky kissed the top of her head. "The movie it is, then." He gave a little pat to the curve of her ass. "Let's go. I wanna see these Jeeps you swear Stark is copying here."

* * *

More whiskey was poured. Popcorn was popped. Blankets were used for the first time since Bucky and Alex arrived on the island. It was, all things considered, the perfect afternoon to spend inside together. Given what transpired, the couple did a pretty decent job at forgetting the trouble that awaited them. They sat together on the spacious couch watching the movie, with Alex nestled in the crook of Bucky's arm and their bowl of popcorn between them. Outside, the stormy weather continued, the sound of rain always present beyond the cozy confines of the bungalow.

Bucky was completely enthralled by the movie from the start. He watched with wide eyes as the characters went from being carefree at the dinosaur park to doing a 180 as they ran for their lives from them later in the film. For Alexis, the real show was watching Bucky react to everything. Every time his jaw dropped, she held back a giggle. He couldn't believe the filmmakers shot some of the scenes with actual, life-sized recreations of the dinosaurs. It was like watching the movie with a kid who'd never seen animatronics before. Alex supposed it kind of was, especially since movies in his day were nowhere near what they were now, even back in 1993.

The first time Bucky saw the Jeeps on screen, he looked at Alex with a smirk brewing. "You nailed it, babe."

Alex settled into the cushions with satisfaction. "Told ya Stark copied them" she said, munching another handful of popcorn.

Halfway through the movie, the whiskey began taking effect on Alex. She felt a little drowsy, so she settled her head on Bucky's lap and stretched out her legs. Bucky's hand instinctively stroked her hair, though he remained captivated by the movie. When the final scene faded to black and the credits began to roll, Bucky clicked off the tv and sat staring at the blank screen.

"That was something else." He rubbed his face. "Humans probably shouldn't mess with stuff like DNA, should they?"

The irony of that statement coming from a man who had a super serum running through his blood was not lost on Alex. She said nothing of it, but patted his knee. "Did you like it?"

"It was _awesome_. I just can't believe they filmed something like that."

Alex sat up just enough to see his expression, which was every bit amused as it had been during the entire movie. "I'm glad I got to watch it with you on your first time."

"So many firsts between us, huh?"

Alex leaned in closer. "Mmmhmm..."

It came out as a purr as her lips met Bucky's. He had that sharp taste of whiskey on his tongue and it turned Alex on. She deepened her kiss, feeling like her lips were a little loose against his. The kiss was languid, wet, and borderline sloppy. Alex loved it.

Bucky gathered up her legs and scooped Alex into his lap, his hand sliding up to the base of her neck and squeezing lightly. "Babe..."

"Hmm?"

"Do dinosaurs make you horny?"

Alex blurted out a tipsy laugh. "No!?" She saw the massive smile on Bucky's face and pushed him in the shoulder. "_You _make me horny - isn't that obvious?"

Bucky knew it was greedy, but he just wanted to hear her say it. He craved her desire. That little twinkle she had in her eyes let him know she lusted for him, and to this day it surprised the hell out of him. But anytime he got to hear her say it, it made him even harder.

He pulled her face to his, calming her with another kiss. "I'm just teasing ya."

"Sure you are."

Their lips met again and they began kissing like they couldn't get enough of one another. For several minutes all they did was make out. It was explorative, slow, and with a depth that was reminiscent of when they first met. Alex caught herself wondering: _am I literally just sitting here kissing this man as though I'm back in high school? _The thought caused her to giggle against Bucky's mouth.

He pulled away, confusion in his smile. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head, unable to keep from looking dumb and in love. "It occurred to me we're just sitting here making out."

"This _just _occurred to you?!"

He was as tipsy as her, so the sass he was giving her caused them both to start laughing. Alex pushed her lips against Bucky's once more and their noses bumped, and then it was Bucky who was laughing. His laugh took on that higher-pitched tone he always got whenever he was truly happy.

"You're fucking adorable" he told her, face scrunching with delight.

Alex tried to hold his face still long enough to grab one more solid kiss. She cupped his cheeks and pulled him in, successfully smushing his face but getting one last kiss. She stood up from the couch and pulled Bucky by the collar of his shirt. "Are you hungry yet? Cause I'm starved."

Was he _ever, _but at this point Bucky wasn't exactly sure what he was hungry for. The pressure in his shorts told him it wasn't for whatever food Alex wanted to prepare. But the sensible side of him, the one currently buried somewhere beneath a layer of liquor, reminded him that neither of them had eaten anything of substance since breakfast. Just the mentioning of food left his stomach growling eagerly.

Maybe that's also why he felt a little woozy when he stood up from the couch. All that whiskey sitting in an empty stomach surely had an influence on him; one he didn't realize until he stood up.

Alex lead them both towards the kitchen and pointed at one of the stools. "_You _sit right there" she said. "And I'll get everything ready."

Bucky settled onto his seat with a grin. "Deal."

He sat with a dumb smile on his face while he watched Alex, enjoying the domestic scene as she brought out the items she picked up at the market. She shimmied her hips as she began to wash and prepare the vegetables, purposely teasing Bucky in doing so. She cast a flirty glance over her shoulder and saw those blue eyes slowly lift from her lower half, a playful sneer marking his face. Enjoying the way he was watching her, she went about dicing up the vegetables knowing he was struggling juuuuust a little.

Bucky was struggling, but he did the very best he could. He really did. He sat there, sometimes talking with Alex, sometimes watching her silently. The movement of her hips, the subtle sway of her breasts, the way she drew her hair up into a ponytail halfway through her work...it was nothing out of the ordinary, but his dick was still hard and the liquor was still in his system. Everything Alex was doing was turning him on.

But then his mind betrayed him. His thoughts flickered back to that of Boroshka and his anger erupted all over again. His hands flexed, his jaw tensed, and then the image of Alexis faded into the loathing he felt towards the people who hurt him.

Bucky struggled to come back from the rage that was growing inside his body. He found himself staring down at the counter, lost in his own mind, completely gone from the room and everything good he had around him in that moment.

Alex had no idea any of this was even going on. She chatted while she worked, turning to face as she pushed ingredients from a cutting board into a bowl.

When their eyes met, Bucky faked a smile; pretending he'd heard everything she was saying but still engulfed in his own anger. The liquor coursing through him didn't help.

_I'm not gonna let anyone ruin this with her, _he thought, clenching his fist into a tight ball.  
_I love her too much to waste even just one day with her.  
__I've wasted too many years letting these people control me. I won't let them control today. _

He pushed back from the counter and stood up.

Alex had her back to Bucky. She continued chatting while she chopped up ingredients and was transferring them onto a sheet pan when she felt him press up against her from behind. His hands locked on to her waist, the strength in his grip imposing.

"Ooooo, _hello_. What are you dooooing?" she teased. In response, Bucky pressed against her even harder. The size of his body had her trapped against the counter, a slight curve to her spine as his hips settled against hers.

"I'm not letting Boroshka ruin this day" he uttered, his mouth flush against her ear.

Confused, Alex turned her head. "Is he ruining it right now?"

"He's in my head again."

She reached behind her to cup the side of Bucky's face. His expression had taken on that imposing hardness he sometimes had during missions. Luckily, she knew how to rid him of it. All she had to do was align her mouth with his. "_Then get him out_" she breathed.

Bucky took this as his signal as ran with it. His mouth joined with hers with needful force, signaling the inferno that was building between them. Alex could feel how hard he was already, and the heat of him pressed against her skin set fire to her own center. His flesh hand snuck around to the front of her stomach, gripping greedily at the flesh before pushing beneath her waistband. His fingers expertly tugged away the fabric of her thong, and then Alex felt the warmth of his large hand covering her core. He teased her with a flick of his fingers and her hands went limp, the sound of everything she was holding tumbling onto the counter.

"You said I make you horny..." Bucky caressed her neck with lazy, open-mouthed kisses. "Time to see just how much."

He drug his thick middle finger down the center of her soft folds before dipping inside. Alex closed her eyes, feeling through the sensations as he added his index finger. When they were good and wet with her glistening need, Bucky withdrew and lifted both fingers to her mouth. He watched, jaw slack and eyes dark with lust, as she took his fingers in her mouth down to the knuckle and licked them clean. He exhaled hard, never more turned on than when Alex wanted to taste herself on him.

A small but teasing smile crept across her face. "Does that answer your question?" She snuck a glance behind her to see him, but there was no smile on Bucky's face. Only that familiar, hot intensity that burned in his eyes.

Excitement rolled through her when Bucky nudged apart her legs with his knee, his other hand tugging her shorts down far enough until he could stomp them the rest of the way down to her ankles. Alex could only look ahead at the wall as she felt through Bucky's motions while he stripped her from the waist down. Cool air played at her now-bare thighs; a delightful contrast to the heat of his hand as he gripped the flesh of her ass. She felt a rough tug as her thong was pulled to the side. When she felt Bucky's metal hand push her chest down onto the kitchen counter, she flat out grinned.

"_Fuck_ are you ever pretty like this."

Alex's heart raced in anticipation. Bucky was admiring her again. Enjoying the sight of his mate before mounting her. There was something primal in the way he did this and she hated how much she loved and craved it_. _She bit her lip to keep from squirming, the anticipating killing her when she knew the pleasure that was only moments away.

Bucky sunk his hand deep into Alex's hair and grabbed the base of her ponytail, yanking her head back until her mouth opened and her neck was exposed. His breath was humid against her ear as he settled his imposing weight over her back. "I need to feel you so bad, doll..."

Alex felt his grip on her hair tighten even further. "Then what are you waiting for?" she exhaled, a smirk playing at the ends of her open mouth.

Her sharp gasp was the only thing louder than the rain when Bucky drove himself inside her all the way to the hilt.

Needless to say, Boroshka was forgotten for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Boroshka Gribinov lived on Tony Stark's private island under a well-protected false identity developed by his old family. The family that deserted him. That left him _here_, with the _enemy. _

He lived in a shoddy thatched hut on the fringe of where Stark had built his playground. The playground _he _watched over. Its where he played pretend each and every day, faking his identity and concealing his past from everyone around him. Pretending was his only means of persevering. His old family didn't want him anymore. Didn't _need _him anymore. They discarded him thoughtlessly, and this is where he ended up. Now he played pretend and lived within the safety of his own lies.

And then a ghost from his past walked back into his life, alive and well and whole. He arrived in one of Stark's jets, and with a woman.

Boroshka had watched the ghost from the safety of his office, his eyes keenly focused on the monitors and his heart in his throat. He had no idea anyone from his old job survived. The reports after his family deserted him said they were all destroyed.

All but one, it seemed.

Boroshka sat down at his makeshift desk and lit a cigarette, listening to the rain pummel the weak structure of his hut. Water leaked between the uneven boards of his roof, the constant dripping sound like nails on a chalkboard. It rattled inside his mind. It reminded him of the room where he spent most of his time with the ghost. Water. Always water. Dripping. Dripping.

He took a drag and pushed the smoke out in a frustrated exhaled. His gray eyes shifted to the layers of pictures tacked to the wall in front of him. Years of news articles, pictures, undercover letters, and personal recollections were gathered there, pinned to the wall, staring back at him. His family members, the ones who deserted him, were all there. Many of them had died.

And yet, the ghost remained.  
His arm was unmistakable. The hair. The stern face. The gaited walk.  
He lived, and he was _here_.

But who was the woman? Boroshka wasn't aware of who the woman was, but she looked familiar. He took another long drag, trying to recall her face. He'd been so focused on the ghost when he first saw him that he couldn't remember much about her. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Athletic frame. That's all he could recall.

He leaned forward and began flipping through the layers of pictures and articles tacked to the wall. He mostly collected items regarding his old family, though he did have a few articles that dealt with Stark and his troupe of marauders. But whoever the woman was, she wasn't a part of his wall of secrets and memories. He'd never seen her until she stepped off the private jet, her hand locked in the ghost's hand.

Did the ghost love?  
_Could _he?

Not the ghost Boroshka knew. No, there was no ability to love there. If _his _ghost showed even a trace of emotion, he was punished immediately. That was Boroshka's job. His _old _job. With his _old _family. The family who deserted him.

Outside, the rain continued to fall in sheets.  
The water dripped through the cracks.  
The sound rattled inside Boroshka's mind.

After this morning's run-in with the ghost, Boroshka needed a plan. When the ghost remembered him - and he _would_ remember - he would come for him. He knew it. He _felt _it. He didn't train him, discipline him, _mold _him into the man he'd been not to have some idea of how he operated.

But the woman.  
Who was the woman?  
She made the ghost smile. He saw it happen on the monitors.  
They descended Stark's private jet, hand in hand, a smile on both their faces.  
He'd never witnessed the ghost smile before.  
Could the woman have made him forget who he really was?

_HOW was it that the fucking Winter Soldier was still alive?  
__HOW?_

Boroshka pounded a fist into the desk, rattling the items that were littered across it. He dabbed his cigarette out on a dinner plate and slumped back into his chair. Deceit lay heavy in his mind. It seemed nothing made sense anymore. Every picture he'd saved. Every article he cut from newspapers. All the evidence he had before him, and none of it pointed to the Winter Soldier still existing.

_But if the words still worked...  
__If the words could still activate him..._

Boroshka had to try. He'd tested them this morning and got his answer. The ghost was real. He was alive and he was here, on Boroshka's doorstep. If he could activate him, maybe he could earn a place with his old family again. Maybe he could prove himself. Maybe they would take him back into the program. Without them, he was nothing. Just a shell. A pretender. A living lie.

But if he could do the unthinkable and bring back the Winter Soldier?

Boroshka's lips peeled back to reveal a full set of teeth. A lightness that had been missing in his heart suddenly appeared. It was just a flicker, but it was there.

Outside, the rain continued to fall.  
The water dripped through the cracks.

And Boroshka smiled.

* * *

Bucky remained awake in bed later that night, unable to sleep. He lay naked on his back atop strewed bedsheets, Alexis snugly nestled against his chest. Her arm lay draped over his waist; her slow, steady exhales comforting against his skin. She'd been asleep for hours now, and yet Bucky couldn't close his eyes long enough to let sleep find him.

For a long while, he stared out beyond the windows to the darkness outside, watching as the rain finally eased up. He listened to the battering of swollen drops against the roof become lighter and more intermittent until only a fine trickle was left. The light of the moon edged out behind parting clouds, casting a thread of silver across the surface of the ocean. Bucky stared the light - lost himself in it, even - as he considered everything the new day would bring.

Bucky brought his gaze back to Alex's sleeping figure when she shifted quietly, her arm subconsciously tightening around his stomach. She uttered a barely audible sigh and the sound brought a smile to Bucky's face. He pressed a feather light kiss to the top of her head, feeling how good it was to be needed the way Alex needed him; the way she _wanted _him. Nothing in his life compared to it. God knows he still wasn't used to it.

He stared at Alex for a moment longer, admiring the softness of her face in the dim light. Was he putting her in danger by going after Boroshka? Was it necessary to do what they were planning on doing? Was he being selfish? These questions troubled him, keeping him on edge while Alexis slept soundly in his arms. She trusted him enough to find sleep the night before a manhunt. Why couldn't he trust himself? Why was he questioning his own motives?

Hydra did unspeakable things to him. And it didn't stop there. They ruined lives wherever they could and whenever it benefited them. Boroshka had been a part of that. Whatever the circumstances, Bucky knew he had to be stopped. Anyone left from that era of his life had to be dealt with.

Boroshka knew the words, though. He'd uttered them in the garage to test him.

But if he used them in the correct way...

Bucky pushed his head back further into the pillow, willing his eyes to close and his mind to stop running. His heart hammered inside his chest, the sound of his own fear vibrating in his ears.

_I won't let it get to that point.  
__I can't let it get to that point._

He worked too hard. Came too far. They healed him of that shit in Wakanda. And now, with Alexis...all the work he put in with her...

No. It wasn't possible.  
It couldn't happen.  
The words had no effect on him anymore.

Bucky opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. God, he was tired. His entire body was spent, emotionally and physically. He loved the day he spent with Alexis, but he was exhausted. All he wanted in that moment was to sleep and be fresh in the morning for whatever awaited them.

"James?"

Bucky picked his head up at the sound of Alex's sleepy voice. "Yeah? You okay?"

"Mmm hmm." She stretched a little, her face scrunching up face in the process. When her eyes opened and focused on him, she sat up some more. "You haven't slept, have you?"

Bucky was never sure how Alex did it. Her awareness had to come from her powers or the connection they shared within those powers. He smoothed back her hair and gave her a tired smile. "Don't worry about me. I hope I didn't wake you?"

She scooted further up to the pillow, supporting her head with one hand. "No, not at all." She rubbed her eyes, slumber still heavy in her in expression. "Why can't you sleep?"

Bucky facially shrugged. His eyes met hers, and Alex knew his answer without even hearing it. She reached a hand out and began to caress his head, which had an immediate soothing effect on him. He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers slowly tug through his hair. "I love when you do this."

Alex nestled her head on the pillow next to his. "I know you do." She let her fingers play slowly through his dark strands, loving how soft it felt against her skin. The simple act of touching him in this way was as therapeutic for her as it was for him.

Finally, Bucky's heart rate slowed. Every rhythmic stroke of Alex's hand lulled him closer to sleep. Even Alex closed her eyes at one point, her hand slowly coming to a stop. Sleep took them both at the same time, their heads tucked in close to one another on the same pillow.

* * *

The rain finally ended when morning came. The sun rose and brought with it a layer of steam rising from the saturated and warming landscape. A ring of thin clouds hung around the perimeter of the sharpened terrain at the center of the island. These would eventually burn off as the sun rose further. Today would prove to be a humid one, but at least the sun was shining again.

In the bungalow, Alex paced in front of Bucky as they went over the plan one more time. Bucky sat on the couch hunched over his legs and staring at the knife, the gun, and the three rounds of ammo laid out on the coffee table before him. It was definitely better than nothing, but it left him feeling more exposed than usual. Then again, this wasn't a typical mission.

"So you'll take me down to Oro's office you were in yesterday..." Alex maintained her slow pace as she went over the plan's key points. "...I'll get into the computer system, take out all security cameras, then find a directory so we can figure out where he lives."

"I've got your back if we need a distraction in the meantime," Bucky said. "Our goal is to isolate him in his own home. If that's successful, I'll take it from there. Keep him pinned while you read his thoughts and see why he's here and if he's plotting anything."

Alex nodded. "Right. And that'll be the easy part." She eyed Bucky on the couch. "You know none of this will go as smoothly as we're hoping?"

He gave her a knowing smile. "It never does."

There was a bittersweet irony in the way he said it, but they both knew it was true. It always helped to have a plan, but in their line of work the amount of on-the-spot decision making was always more than what could ever be planned.

"Good thing we're so in tune with one another" he added, fondness in his voice.

Their eyes met in shared understanding. The slate-blue of Bucky's eyes shone bright, and Alex took comfort in it. He was right: they always rode the same wavelength no matter what they did or where they were. As long as they were together, they could feed off of each other's energy. She was confident they would be able to play off one another in the event their plan went sideways.

"However," Bucky said, staring down at the weapons in front of him. "I'm not sure I've ever walked into a situation like this without any body armor." He lifted his gaze once more as Alex resumed pacing. "We may need to get creative."

She thought this over, her hand going to her chin. "Call me crazy, but I still think Stark has a secret reserve around here."

"He probably does. But even if we knew where it was, how would we access it? You know how Stark is with his weapons" Bucky said, slumping back into the cushions.

Alex gave an ironic sort of laugh. "I sure do." And then she halted, an idea coming to her. "Wait. You might be on to something."

Bucky's forehead lifted. "I am?"

"We know _exactly _how Stark operates, do we not?"

"You could say that" Bucky mused with a roll of his eyes.

Alex felt her powers start to tingle in her fingers as her anticipation grew. She looked around the room, trying to see it with new eyes. "He likes things to be at the ready, and he likes a riddle. You know...something that shows he's smarter than everyone in the room without being obvious about it."

Bucky stood, hands resting on his hips. "I was with you right up until that last part" he said with a smirk. "He's pretty obvious about that all the damn time."

"But here? On an island he owns and suspects no one would give a shit if he was smarter than them?" Alex clicked her teeth. "If he needed to use his weapons, he'd need it to be easy to access, but not obvious."

"Hidden in plain sight" Bucky added, realization slowly creeping in. "He wouldn't want to worry anyone who works here."

Alex walked into the kitchen and started looking closely at all the appliances. "Doesn't he like to double-tap shit to activate it? He's always doing it with his arc reactor and that watch he wears. He's always tapping stuff to turn it on."

Bucky began walking around the living area. "Yeah, it's almost second nature to him. Which means he uses the same motion with _everything_ so he doesn't have to think about it."

With this in mind, the pair began checking everything in front of them. Alex tried various items in the kitchen while Bucky moved through the other rooms, always trying to active something. It seemed ridiculous to go around double-tapping random items around them, but this was Tony Stark they were talking about. He could do anything and make anything. Double-tapping a toaster with the hopes it would transform into something wasn't exactly out of the question.

When nothing responded, Alex stood in the living room and chewed her lip. They were missing something. Something obvious. Something they were overlooking or disregarding. She tried to study the room one more time with new eyes, as if she was seeing it for the first time all over again.

That's when she noticed a small end table placed in the far corner of the living room. It stood near a book shelf, and couldn't have been any bigger than two feet in width. On the table sat a telephone. _A corded telephone. _

A grin erupted across her face. "Babe?"

"Yeah?" Bucky walked back into the living area after checking the washroom. "Did you find something?"

Alex went over to the table with the corded telephone. "I think so." She glanced over her shoulder as Bucky approached. "Did you even notice this old phone over here?"

"Not once this entire trip."

"Me either. Who keeps a corded phone anymore? Let alone Tony _Stark_?"

The couple stared at one another and smiled. Bucky took a step back. "Go for it, babe. This is all you."

Alex studied the phone for a second longer, trying to decide where she should double-tap. Not the keypad. That was too obvious. Plus, it might actually make a call.

So she tapped the spine of the handset.

Immediately, the phone turned into pixelated fragment of its old form. It peeled back and disappeared as the bookshelf spun and exposed an entire wall of Stark Industries weaponry and ammunition.

Alex looked back at Bucky to see him grinning from ear to ear.

They were like kids in a candy store. After taking what guns they wanted and plenty of spare ammo, Bucky got to outfitting them properly so they could carry everything they'd chosen.

Using his knife and Alex's backpack, he cut the nylon straps off and tied them together at the ends. He also cut strips of the fabric and also tied these together, holding the ends in between his teeth as he secured them with fail-proof knots. He stripped the backpack of everything he could that was useful. When he was finished, he had two behind-the-back gun holsters and one waist holder for both him and Alexis.

Bucky did the honors of strapping hers on, his hands deft as he wrapped the makeshift band around between her shoulder blades. "How's it feel? Too tight?"

Alex wiggled her arms, testing her range of movement. "Feels good so far." She felt Bucky give one more tug on the adjustment strap before lowering the hem of her shirt back down to her waist. "I gotta say: it's kind of a turn on that you made these."

Bucky lowered his eyes at the compliment. "Just something I picked up." His gaze flicked upward to see Alex challenging him with a smirk.

"You're too modest."

A smile crept across his face. "Maybe." He shrugged on his own holster, tying the straps together and tightening it across his back. He wound the waist holster about his abdomen and tightened it until there was little to no movement. "There. I feel _much_ better now going into this."

"Now all we need is to dress in something that will actually conceal this stuff" Alex said, trying to turn in such a way where she could see if she had a hump on her back from her gear. When she saw that she did, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yeah, this t-shirt isn't gonna cut it, I don't think."

So the couple got to work on their next task: finding out what they needed to wear to make all of this work without being obvious. Without the suits they usually wore on missions, they only had a few choices they could work with. Both of them agreed they needed to look exactly like the vacationing lovers they'd been so far this trip (so as not to tip off any of the employees), but they also needed to conceal their newly acquired weapons.

Bucky chose the only pair of pants he brought with him on the trip, which was a pair of dark navy jeans. When they arrived on the island, he'd been wearing a button-down shirt, so he chose that as his top along with a black undershirt. This at least ensured all his guns and holsters were concealed to the average eye.

Alex also wore the only pair of pants she brought with her, which was a pair of tight black yoga pants. Everything else she brought were either shorts, skirts, or a dress. Not all unlike her suit back in New York, her athletic pants afforded her the best range of mobility to help with her martial arts skills and the acrobatics she excelled at when her powers were in full use.

She had a little more trouble finding a top to conceal her weapons, though. She didn't bring anything that seemed to be loose enough to conceal her back holster, and was left struggling to find something.

Bucky picked up one of her sleeping camisoles from the bedside floor and held it up by the straps. "What about this?"

Alex looked up from her suitcase. "_That?!_"

"It's loose around the bottom, isn't it?"

"It's silk!"

Bucky didn't understand. He looked at her with round eyes as she approached him and the cami he was still holding. She regarded it for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. So what if it's silk? It'll definitely work. I just need something to cover my back..."

"Use my jacket." Bucky nodded at the black leather jacket he had draped over a coat rung near the bungalow's entrance. He hadn't worn it since they left New York and it had been hanging there ever since. "Say you're cold and I offered it to you. Blame it on the air conditioning. The minute we're away from any employees, you can take it off again."

Alex snapped her fingers. "Brilliant!"

Bucky was feeling pleased as she hurried over to the jacket. "Feel free to elaborate about what a caring, kind boyfriend I am and how I wooed you for the first time with that move back when we first met." He wiggled an eyebrow at her, his grin widening. "You know. A distraction tactic."

Alex laughed, but she had to give it to him. "And an honest distraction tactic at that." She slipped the leather jacket over her shoulder, hearing the jingle of all the various zippers as she did so. It was the jacket she bought him for Christmas that year, knowing he'd look as bad ass and handsome in it.

Bucky admired her in it. "Looks good on you."

With a subdued smile, Alex went to him and slid her arms around his waist. "Looks way better on you." She leaned into him, and could still smell some of his cologne on the button-down from their first day on the island. Though it was only four days ago, it seemed so much longer than that. Her mind skipped back to their plane ride there. They had the entire private jet to themselves, but they had sat so close to one another, talking excitedly about the impending vacation and peering out the window at the landscapes below. Now they were preparing as they would for a regular work mission. It was a cruel twist for what was meant to be a relaxing getaway.

Bucky had been all smiles when Alex joined him, but when he saw her eyes start to look glazed over, his happiness turned to concern. "Hey? Why so glum all of a sudden?"

Alex realized her moment of reflection had given her away. She looked up into Bucky's eyes, seeing worry begin to take shape there. "Was just thinking back to when we first got here. How four days can change in the blink of an eye."

"No, no, don't do that. You can't start thinking like that" Bucky said, lifting her drooping chin with his finger. Their eyes met, and for a moment neither said anything. Bucky took a second to collect himself, calling upon some of the things he'd thought about in bed when he couldn't sleep. "Do you remember our first dance together?"

"Of course" Alex said, brows knitting together. She was curious as to where he was going with this.

Bucky's expression turned bashful. "That was the first night I danced with a girl since the war. It was the first night I spent with a girl, since..." He looked away, obviously embarrassed but chuckling in spite of himself. "...F_ar _too long, let's just say." He chanced a glance back at Alex, but all he saw was that familiar look of love in her eyes. He exhaled, feeling humbled. "There were a lot of firsts that night. For us both, I know that - but for me? You'll never know how important that night was to me."

Alex gripped his arms, feeling both muscle and metal beneath his soft shirt. "Why are you bringing all of this up?" she asked, emotion tugging at her voice.

Bucky brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Because I know this is the first time we've ever done something like this. Without the team. Without proper gear. Without knowing what we're really walking in to. And goddammit, the fact you even agreed to _go _with me into this? To help me do this?!" He cupped Alex's face, holding her with a gentleness that echoed just how much he loved her and a desperation for her to know how he felt. "Me and you...we're pretty good at firsts. And just like all the other firsts we went in to together, we'll come out of this one just fine too."

He saw water welling up within Alex's large eyes and started to feel bad. He needed her to hear these things, but he knew he better wrap it up if he was to keep those fresh tears of hers from falling.

"Bottom line" he said, trying to give her a big smile, "is that I love you. And that I'm forever grateful for your love." He paused. "And that for what it's worth, this has been the best trip I've ever taken in my life."

Alex lifted a hand up to her mouth and the sound of the half-sob/half-laugh came from her throat. "Dammit, James..." She wiped at her eyes, the sob-laughs still coming.

Bucky stood there making a face, trying not to laugh at her oddly adorable reaction. "Yes?"

Alex sniffled and shook her head. "Fuck, I love you."

She threw herself into his arms, and Bucky buried his face in her neck. He held her as her happy tears let loose, trying all the while to think of something that would make her laugh. "I know I'm not as good as Steve at these pre-mission speeches" he began, "but I'm getting better, don't you think?" He felt Alex's chest rumble against his as she laughed, and he considered it a personal victory.

"I'd give it a 9 out of 10" she said, pulling away and wiping her nose with a laugh.

The smile that came to Bucky was the biggest his smile had been in the past 24 hours, and it felt good.  
_Insanely_ good.

* * *

**Author's Note: We're getting into the thick of things now, folks! I can't wait for the upcoming chapters. Thank you again for all the follows and favorites, and for any of you just quietly reading and enjoying the story. It means the world to me. See you in the next chapter! -Winter**


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This is a hella-long chapter, so strap yourselves in! :) I thought about splitting it into two chapters, but the way it flows and the story it tells works better if it remains in one big chapter. **

**Trigger warning(s): Descriptions of violence, blood.**

* * *

Later that morning, the couple was ready to leave the bungalow and accomplish their one main goal: figure out why Boroshka was on the island, and then take him down by any means possible.

There was only one final step left before they could begin, and that was for Alexis to complete one full power and skill transfer with Bucky. Though the couple had never done this before, they had plenty of experience with Alex's powers entering Bucky and working on his memories and negative emotions associated with his past. Still, the prospect of yet another "first" left Alexis feeling a little more nervous than she had been the day before when they discussed it. Then again, she was always nervous when it came to stuff like this.

"You want to do this like we do back home?" Bucky nodded towards the center of the living room floor and followed it with a warm smile.

Alex chewed her fingernail. "You mean knees touching, hands on each other?" She shook her head. "I think we'll be alright just to do it like I do on our missions." She used the finger she was nervously nibbling to summon him over.

Dressed fully in his "normal looking" clothing, complete with several guns and his trusty knife strapped to his body, Bucky stood in front of Alex. His eyes were friendly and his expression was as inviting as he could make it. "Whenever you're ready, darling."

Alex exhaled. She placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder and closed her eyes. Opening herself to that strange well deep inside her, she called upon her powers, rousing them from their slumber. Once she opened that invisible door inside herself, it was like a jolt of energy shot through her chest and into the rest of her body. Her skin came alive, her blood burned hotter, and she felt all of it exit the hand resting on Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky felt the familiar warmth of Alex's powers as they entered him. Her white light pulsed around her, flickering and shimmering. Gradually, the light flowed through her and onto him, covering his body in her light. _This, _he was used to. Her strange light was like a friend to him now. Whenever he saw it, whenever he _felt _it around him, it comforted him. There was something uniquely special about the way Alex connected with him in this manner. It went beyond the physical and emotional connection that happened when they made love. It was so deeply intimate, to trust someone to enter you with an unexplainable power that joined you in ways never thought possible. _This _was what Bucky was used to.

However, what he was not used to was the mild tugging sensation he began to feel. It began somewhere inside his chest as Alexis extended her powers further into him, then it spread beyond his chest into his limbs. It felt strange, but not uncomfortable. He remained still as Alex did her thing, but kept his eyes on her face for any sign that something was abnormal. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be. In fact, her expression was utterly calm as she gripped his shoulder tighter and her light grew brighter around them.

For Alex, transferring with Bucky was much different than any other transfer of skill and traits she'd done with other Avengers. It had a familiar feeling to her. Maybe it was because she knew Bucky so well, or knew parts of him he never shared with anyone (and vice versa). Maybe that made all the difference. Her muscles adjusted to his level of power and the abilities he had from his super serum, but none of it felt _new _to her.

She still felt the usual augmentation inside her body, though her appearance never changed on the outside. She wouldn't have a metal arm, but her body would have Bucky's strength, agility, skill, and resiliency without a single difference in her appearance.

When Alex finished and opened her eyes, she felt stronger than any other transfer she'd done before aside from Steve. Her eyesight was clearer, her mind sharper, and her muscles felt as strong as ever.

Bucky stared at her with question in his gaze. "How do you feel?"

Alex rolled her neck, then swung her arms in circles to get a feel for the changes. She looked at Bucky with a grin. "_Way _fucking stronger, that's for sure." She jumped in place a few times to let her legs adjust, then rolled her neck again. It was like her energy had quadrupled...like she'd been in a deep, restorative sleep for days at a time. "How do you live like this every day and not explode!?"

He tilted his head and laughed. "Explode?! From what?"

"From all this _energy_."

Uttering another chuckle, Bucky pulled her in for a hug. "You're cute, babe - but after 70 years, you just get used to it." When he pulled back, he kept his hands braced on either side of her shoulders. "So. You ready? Need any more time?"

"Never been more ready" Alex answered with a smile. "Lead the way."

She said this in regards to Bucky being the first to step out of the bungalow and begin their trek up to the main building on the property, but she also meant it for their entire plan and the day ahead of them. This was Bucky's fight, and Alex didn't want to take that from him. Hopefully she wouldn't need to use his transferred skills within her, but she felt better having them just in case. She was there to support him, to help him if he needed it, and to add another superhuman presence in the fight against someone who deserved everything that was coming for him.

All of this was very evident in the way Bucky carried himself. From the way he walked, the way he squared his broad shoulders, the way his handsome face hardened into sharp angles that gave evidence to his level of focus. Alex saw it in every line of his body, right down to the metal fist that clenched and unclenched as though he was testing it for what was to come. To her, Bucky's top-heavy body was a masterpiece, but it was also a powerhouse of a weapon. He truly didn't need any of his usual Avenger decorations to transform into the formidable soldier that he was.

But Bucky was also able to wipe the stern look off his face when he needed to, which is when they arrived at the main building on Stark's property. He did just that, transforming himself once more.

It was time for them to active their plan.

Wearing a more relaxed expression, Bucky opened the door for Alex, who shrugged his black leather jacket up and over her shoulders as she entered. She hugged her arms around her torso, acting as though she caught a chill from the air conditioning inside the building.

Heilani was there, of course. Her friendly smile greeted them before they even reached the desk. "Good morning!" she said, her voice echoing through the lobby like a song. "How are we doing today? Out for another adventure?"

"Doing great, Ma'am." Bucky leaned an arm over the counter casually; any sign of his intense focus temporarily gone. "You know, funny thing...when I returned the Jeep yesterday, I don't know how it happened, but I forgot to give these to Oro." He lifted the keys from his pocket, the key ring swinging on his index finger. "You wouldn't happen to know if he's around today, would you?"

Heilani glanced between the two of them, and Alex gave her a smile. "He can be forgetful sometimes" she said, patting Bucky's stomach lovingly.

Heilani waved a hand. "It's no problem dear. Although unfortunately, Oro called off work this morning. Said he was sick as a dog, the poor thing."

Both Bucky and Alex's eyes met for a brief second.

"That's a shame" they echoed in unison.

Heilani shook her head, little wisps of gray hair billowing about her brow. "He didn't seem ill yesterday, but you just never know with Oro." She leaned in towards the couple and lowered her voice. "He's a polite man and all, but in my opinion, he keeps to himself too much. Doesn't really talk a whole lot unless spoken to, you know?"

Bucky slowly nodded, playing it up further with his expression. "Interesting..."

The only reaction they got from Heilani was a suspicious lift of one of her dark eyebrows. "Like I said: polite man. Just a little quiet." She immediately broke into a smile, acting as if she didn't just judge a coworker. "So! If you two have the keys, Oro will be none the wiser. You can just head down to his office and leave them on his desk, or - if you don't want to bother, I can do it for you?" She held out her hand to take the keys, but both Alex and Bucky began to protest.

"Oh no, that won't be necessary" Alex replied.

"You've already done so much for us on this trip" Bucky added, sliding the keys back into the pocket of his jeans. "It's no problem, really."

"You two are too sweet." She settled into place in her chair. "But if you want to take the Jeep for the day and return it later, I'll never tell. It'll be like forgetting the keys never happened." She gave the couple a wink.

Alex and Bucky's gazes met with a smile.

"I think we'll do just that" Alex told her. "Thanks again, Heilani."

"You kids have fun, whatever you end up doing!"

The couple turned from the desk and headed back out of the lobby. Bucky gave Alex a side-eye and a faint smile. "Oh we will, won't we?" he uttered under his breath.

The grin on Alex's face gave him her answer.

They said nothing else as they headed down into the private garage, going through the same motions Bucky had the day before to pass security clearance. Only when they were below ground and closer to the entrances that would take them to Oro's office did they begin to talk about Heilani's admission.

"What do you make of it?" Alex asked Bucky.

"I think it fits the bill of what I know of him." He withdrew his thumb from the security panel and motioned Alex to head through the door first. "I also find it very convenient that Boroshka's 'sick' today."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Alex placed her thumb on the next panel, watching as the second and final door slid open to reveal Oro's office. All of the security monitors were working, their images flicking between various angled shots around the island properties. She scanned the room for anything else interesting, but Bucky's description had been spot on. "Yep. As boring as you told me." She took a seat at the desk and began logging in to the computer system.

Bucky waited, keeping an eye on the door as well as an ear peeled for any movement beyond the room. "You think you can do this?" He saw her smirk and knew he didn't need to ask that question.

"Do you doubt my skills, Sergeant?"

"Never said I didn't." He nudged her. "Just wondering if our sick groundskeeper placed any additional measures on the computer before he took the day off. If he even suspects we're coming for him-" He stopped mid-sentence when the main screen of the computer blinked a few times and a message appeared:

_Stark Industries welcomes you, Alexis Markos. Please enter your S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance code to proceed._

Alex glanced back at Bucky. "Seems he did no such thing" she replied happily. With a crack of her fingers, she got to work. "Here comes the fun part."

Bucky gave a good-natured shake of his head and went back to monitoring the door, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. He never understood any of those on the Avengers team that enjoyed computer work. He found all of it frustrating and somewhat anxiety-inducing. He supposed it had to do with his extreme lack of skill with computers, especially when he all but missed the dawn of such technology while brainwashed. Maybe one day he would learn. After all, he did learn how to use a cell phone and how to text. That had to count for something?

"Bingo." Alex's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Got into the mainframe. Lo' and behold, it's modeled exactly like Headquarters."

Bucky stood behind her chair and rested his elbows on the headrest. From here, he could watch the screen along with her. "Can you take the cameras down without alerting anyone?"

"Should be able to." She stared at the screen intently, clicking and typing. "Oro's passwords are shit, by the way." She looked behind her to see Bucky smiling.

"Doesn't surprise me. He was a Hydra thug, after all."

"I think I'll change them for him."

"Nice girl that you are" Bucky played along.

Alex changed all passwords set by Oro. She changed everything she could, in fact. After a final few programming maneuvers, the security feed in front of them began to flicker off one by one. Each rectangular image faded to gray and eventually turned off completely until all 20-some cameras were dead. Without security watching them, and without any chance that Oro would be able to monitor their whereabouts from a remote location, their plan could continue without nearly as much fear of failure.

"On to the staff directory" Alex said, cueing up a different part of the computer to investigate. "This might take more time. I'm not familiar with a lot of what I'm seeing here."

"Do what you need to. We've got time."

Alex would work efficiently anyway, but Bucky wanted her to know it was more important to find out where Boroshka might be, which was very likely his house. _Especially _because he called in 'sick'. They needed as much information as they could get for this part.

This still rubbed Bucky the wrong way. Just something about it struck him as premeditated. Boroshka had to know Bucky was coming for him. After he used the words, after he approached him like he did in the garage, all of it lead to his assumption that Boroshka was planning something. Whatever the case, they'd be ready for him. Bucky was sure of that.

Alex clapped her hands together. "Got it!"

Bucky went over and peered over Alex's shoulder, one hand braced on the desk. "What'd you find?"

"Name, address, telephone, hiring date." She enlarged the file for them both to read. "Looks like he was hired several years ago...from Poland."

Bucky scanned the text and his forehead wrinkled. "Stark let _S.H.I.E.L.D. _hire him? Did they hire all of the people here?"

Alex made a face. "Explains why he doesn't know he's harboring a Hydra agent." She looked at Bucky, noticing the question in his eyes at he stared at Oro's dossier.

"Something isn't right. Why was he in Poland in the first place?" His gaze met hers. "He was always stationed in Russia...with the rest of them." His voice took on a callous tone.

Alex thought this over. "So there's a period of time that isn't accounted for. A period of time that even S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't aware of."

"Or chose to ignore."

The look they exchanged was one of distrust; distrust for their own organization.

Alex didn't want to think like that. "Tony would know. He'd _have _to know."

"Don't be so sure" Bucky answered. "The same people who brought me in years ago...they were all involved." He shook his head and stood up away from the desk. "But you know the story." He walked away, his hand rubbing at the beard around his mouth.

Alex sat quietly. She understood that everything they were doing, and _why _they were doing it, brought up layers and layers of emotions within Bucky. Many of which he still wrestled with daily. He was doing _so well_, but it was hitting too close to home and was starting to eat away at him. She felt this inside herself even morenow that she had transferred some of himself into her. It enhanced the anger inside her, as it did the hatred. She used it as fuel; fuel to bring up Oro's address and locate him so they could end this charade.

"Well look at that." Alex leaned back in the chair. "Looks like his home isn't far from where our waterfall is."

Bucky turned halfway. "Really?"

Alex brought up an enhanced satellite map and zoomed in to the location given on the staff directory. Bucky saw what appeared to be a single-land dirt road that lead to a very small structure on the fringe of the tropical forest. No other homes or structures seemed to be anywhere near him, which was better luck than he expected.

"Any other addresses listed on the file?" he asked.

"This is the only one."

"Does Stark have any other properties on the island beside these?"

Alex shook her head. "This is it. Unless he's hiding in the woods, he's gotta be here." She met the steel blue eyes of her boyfriend. "He's sick, after all. Where else would he be, if not home?"

Bucky smirked. "You think he's there pretending to eat chicken soup with a box of tissues nearby?"

"I hope not" Alex said, pushing back from the desk. "I'd hate to spill blood into a perfectly good bowl of soup."

* * *

After calling in and faking an illness, Boroshka used the rest of the morning to get ready.

In the years he spent working for the enemy, watching over his playground and making sure all his toys were safe and sound, he collected stores of spare parts and broken cameras that he refurbished for his own use. He had them all over his property, but he spent that morning installing one final camera at the end of the road leading to his shack.

He knew the ghost would come. How long would it take him to figure out where he lived?

After the camera installation, Boroshka moved to the bed of his work truck where he kept items he frequently needed on the job. Here he kept a variety of toolboxes, spare motor parts, landscaping equipment, shovels and rakes, and several plastic gas cans. He kept the gas cans full in the event he had to refuel the various maintenance vehicles he used around the enemy's playground. Now, he chose one of the cans and walked the entire perimeter of his shack, spilling a line of gasoline behind him.

When he was finished, he tossed the empty can back into his truck bed and then grabbed a line of electric wire he kept on a large spool. Unraveling the line, Boroshka went about laying a tripwire across the front and back of his shack. With a little finagling and skills he learned from his old family, he gathered together a few extra items to make a switch and a reactor for each line.

Feeling a high he hadn't felt since in years, Boroshka took great pleasure in setting the traps that would aim to alert, and maim, the ghost. Riding that high, he decided to string lines around the forest perimeter that lay beyond his hut. When he set the reactors for each of these to his liking, he went back inside. The whole thing took less than two hours.

Boroshka lit a cigarette and settled into his desk, staring at the articles and pictures tacked to the wall. He found inspiration in them now. If he could bring the Winter Soldier back, maybe his family would truly accept his return into the program. Maybe they would absolve him of his past misgivings. He _needed _them to forgive him. He was nothing without them. Just an errand boy for the enemy, and that's not who he was. It was only who he pretended to be.

Powering on his laptop, Boroshka called up all the camera feeds around his property and the one at the end of his road. When he ensured all the feeds were working and showing live pictures, he signed in to the Stark security feed covering the grounds of the main property.

When he entered his password and identification, an error flashed on the screen:

_Stark Industries Security Systems: INVALID ERROR  
__Devices 1-12, 12-24, 24-29 have been disabled.  
__Devices will remain offline until security policy has been updated._

Puzzled, Boroshka sat staring at the screen. He clicked on a few of the individual cameras to check their status, only to receive a similar error:

_SISS Device 1: There is no connected camera.  
__SISS Device 2: There is no connected camera.  
__SISS Device 3: There is no connected camera.  
__SISS Device 4: There is no connected camera._

He slammed a fist down on the table, rattling all the usual items on the desk.

Exiting out of the program completely, Boroshka went back to the beginning and tried again. This time, he used his backup password and authentication credentials. Anticipation filled him as a tiny wheel on the screen went round and round, plugging and chugging his information. Smoke curled from the cigarette poised between his pursed lips as he waited.

The same error message appeared yet again:

_Stark Industries Security Systems: INVALID ERROR  
__Devices 1-12, 12-24, 24-29 have been disabled._

Boroshka let out a huff of frustration, smoke billowing from his mouth. One final time, now using the security system's default password and authentication, he attempted to sign in to the main property's camera feeds...only to receive the very same error messages.

Running a shaky hand through his grayed and greasy hair, he tried to calm his thundering heart. These were _his _cameras. _His. _Why were they not working?

A finger of ice crept into his heart.

_Perhaps the ghost was already one step ahead of him?_

He cursed quietly to himself.  
He should have known the ghost would work quicker than planned.

He bounded from his chair and went to the only closet he had inside his shack: two boards nailed to the rickety hut wall with a makeshift curtain tied on a rope draped across the top. He flung back the curtain and pulled out a small metal case emblazoned with the symbol of a skull and tentacles. He lifted the lid to reveal a Soviet issued handgun given to him by his old family. The family that deserted him. The family that raised the ghost. He hadn't used the gun since he left Russia, but he couldn't think of a better reunion in which to use it. He hoped the ghost would remember it fondly when he had it pointed between his eyes.

He went back to his desk, gun in hand. Taking one last pull of nicotine, he let the smoke burn in his throat and through his lungs good and long before exhaling. He dabbed the rest out on the plate with all the other cigarette butts, then reclined back in his chair with his feet on the desk.

With his eyes on the camera feed showing the end of his road, Boroshka waited.

* * *

"Pull over here."

Alex glanced at Bucky in the passenger seat, then turned the wheel. She brought the Jeep to a stop on the side of the road and killed the engine; almost a half mile away from Boroshka's road. "What's the matter?"

Bucky squinted, staring out the window and peering all around him. "He'll have cameras at the entrance. We need to avoid them." He looked at her, jaw set, eyes bright and focused. "You ready?"

Alex placed a hand on his knee and squeezed. "Right behind you, Sergeant. All the way."

The corner of Bucky's mouth lifted, but then it was gone. He exited the Jeep, hearing Alex shutting her door and following behind him. He scanned the forest along the road, eyeing every tree, every frond, every trunk or branch he could. It seemed a half-mile was far enough away to begin the trek in to his property safely. He looked back at Alex and nodded. "Let's go."

They headed into the thick brush, pushing their way through some of the thicker foliage until they found a clearer way that would take them towards the dirt road. The heat of the day was growing, but the humidity was exhausting. Bucky's shirt was soaked in the back and under his arms within minutes of their trek, while the outline of Alex's abs were traced by sweat down the front of her cami. Halfway to Boroshka's home, she had no choice but to take her lengthy ponytail and wrap it into a bun on the top of her head. Strands of hair that didn't stay in her bun stuck to her temples, her skin flushed pink from the heat and humidity.

Though Alex was only a few strides behind him, Bucky waited for her. He took her hand in his, letting her know he was right there with her and was also feeling the effects of the heat. Being away from the water and the relief of the ocean's constant breeze was never more evident than it was on that walk to Boroshka's. And though they didn't talk, the smile Bucky gave Alex and the subtle squeeze of his hand had been enough to let her know they were in this together.

Their trek was a wide berth semi-circle that ended at the forest's edge. When the dirt road finally appeared, Bucky motioned for Alex to wait in the safety of the foliage until he could scope it our. Crouching low, he edged his way to the side of the road and scanned the trees as he'd done before. This time he spotted at least two cameras within eyeshot.

When he got back to Alex, he shook his head to tell her it was a no-go, then waved for her to follow him once more.

The couple did this at least three more times before they came to a portion of the road that was camera-free. Bucky knew Boroshka wouldn't have the entire road covered, since only the first half of the road was the most important part to monitor. This proved to be true, as the rest of their walk along the dirt road remained free from any further security measures.

When they arrived at the final bend in the road before Boroshka's home, Bucky pulled Alex into his arms. He cupped her beautiful face, tasted the salt of her sweat on her lips, and let her know through his kiss that he understood the gravity of what was next and that he appreciated her being there with him. He ended it by placing a final kiss on her forehead. "_Love you_" he whispered.

Alex brushed away some of the damp hair that stuck to the sides of his face. "_Love you too_."

In unison, they removed one of their guns and cocked them, then began the last stretch of the dirt road to Boroshka's. Their steps were in line with each other's, their expressions focused and steady. They rounded the curve in the road, the view opening up to a small property. What they saw was just the first of several surprises they would encounter.

Boroshka's home wasn't at all what they were expecting. In truth, it wasn't much of a home at all. It was a dilapidated wooden shack; lop-sided, riddled with holes and cracks, with a thickly thatched roof common of the other structures seen on the island. Even so, the entirety of the 'home' was in rough shape, and that included the roof.

The pair proceeded, hands secure on their guns. Bucky eyed every corner of the property in those first moments: _truck in driveway, no noise, no animals. _He lifted his gaze: _four cameras, one in each quadrant. _Then he scanned the ground, noticing the very subtle, but very real tripwire laying in waiting outside the home's entrance.

He held out his hand, stopping Alexis. Her eyes met his with question. He motioned with his chin at the tripwire. She quickly noticed it and gave him a nod.

It wasn't the only one. Bucky moved his eyes over the perimeter of the forest, noticing many more lines had been set. The wires were poorly buried beneath dead palm fronds, but he also spotted the reactors set at the ends. _Three visible lines near the east and west ends of property_. _Two near the north end. Only safe way out of the property will be the road_.

Either Boroshka was a paranoid son of a bitch, or he had prepared himself for their arrival.

Bucky suspected the latter.

Alex gave a tilt of her head, grabbing Bucky's attention. She pointed to her nose, signaling for him to inhale. Bucky took a deep breath and noticed right away what she was alerting him to.

_Gasoline. _

He glanced down at his feet, but there was no shiny reflection of fuel on the grass. Maybe it was coming from the gas cans in the back of the truck, but those were capped and locked.

No, the gasoline had been poured somewhere. _Purposely._

Bucky waved Alex closer and mouthed: _don't fire your gun unless you have to_. Alex gave him another nod. If they got into unnecessary gunfire wherever Boroshka had poured the lines, they'd all go up in flames.

When the couple was less than a hundred feet or so from the shack, Bucky began phase two of their plan: to announce himself while Alex took cover nearby. This part of the plan would test if Boroshka would cooperate without force, and would give Bucky the chance to talk to him one-on-one. Alex would step in when signaled.

With Boroshka's truck parked close by, it would serve as loose cover for Alexis until Bucky got Boroshka isolated and pinned. He was about to motion for her to take cover, but she was already on it.

Her movements were quiet as she rounded the far side of the parked truck. She settled in against one of the truck's wheels with her back pressed against the metal hubcap. In this position, she was facing away from the shack but could hear everything that went on.

Alex closed her eyes, focused her powers, and listened to Bucky's heavy footsteps as he neared the home. Her heartbeat accelerated. Her powers thrummed.

She tightened both hands on her gun and kept it poised near the center of her chest and waited for her signal.

* * *

Inside the hut, Boroshka watched all of his monitors with unwavering focus. The minutes ticked by, but there was no sign of the ghost.

His knee bobbed nervously.  
He finished his last cigarette, dabbing it out on the plate with the others.  
He kept his eyes on his laptop screen, flipping between all the cameras.  
Nothing.  
No one showed.

And then he heard the ghost's voice outside his door.

* * *

"_Я знаю, что ты там_, Бушка!" Bucky aimed his weapon at the entrance of the shack. He took two slow steps towards the door, ever mindful of the trip wire. "Сейчас я хочу только поговорить!"

He was greeted with silence.

"_Boroshka!_" Bucky took another step, yet not a sound was heard.

_Coward_.

Impatience boiled inside him. He took one final step, closing the distance to the front door. He threw all his weight into his left leg and kicked the door down, the force of it sending splintered boards flying into the home. Bucky raised his gun and stepped over the wire and the broken wood, getting his first look at the inside of the hut Boroshka called home.

It was all of two rooms from what Bucky could see. A simple kitchen with a banged up table. A makeshift closet. A thin mattress on the floor. It was dirty, unkempt, and familiar.

Familiar, because it reminded Bucky of his apartment back in Bucharest.

On the far end of the main room, a desk was pressed against the wall. Upon seeing what was tacked to that wall, Bucky lowered his gun. He walked over, eyes focused on the layers of pictures and news clippings. Some were recent. Others were much older; their corners yellowed and curled with age.

He knew the people tacked to that wall. He saw their faces in his nightmares. He remembered their harsh voices when they ordered him to do their bidding.

He hated all of them.

Sticking out behind one of the more prominent articles was a man Bucky never wanted to see again. He lifted the edge of the article with his finger, revealing a picture of Vasily Karpov, the man in charge of Hydra's Winter Soldier program.

Bucky stared at the face of the man who plagued his nightmares, feeling hatred growing inside him like a dark flame. He subconsciously ground his teeth, jaw muscles flexing, as he recalled the feel of cold metal plates from the brainwashing chair attach to his face and head. He felt the searing pain of needles being jabbed into him down to the bone. Smelled the charred ends of his uniform as they electrocuted him.

Disgusted, Bucky turned away from the wall.

That's when Boroshka struck.

He was on top of Bucky with ungodly speed, but this wasn't the first time they'd fought one another and Bucky's memory wasn't shit anymore. He remembered Boroshka's fighting style almost immediately. His muscle memory kicked in as he retaliated against Boroshka, just as he'd done many times decades ago. Boroshka may have had the element of surprise, but Bucky had unmatched strength.

He wielded his arm, the sound of its power whining through the silence in the hut, accenting their muffles grunts and heavy breaths. They parried - Boroshka still had it in him, it seemed - but Bucky was far better. He was quicker; his movements more precise. He blocked every punch, every throw, and every kick, knocking Boroshka back until he had him against the wall.

Metal fingers locked onto his neck like a vice. "You're not as skilled as you once were, Gribinov," Bucky uttered, blue eyes ablaze with adrenaline.

Boroshka struggled against his firm grip. "You're not as obedient as you once were, _Зимний солдат."_

Bucky bared his teeth. Even in the sweltering heat, Boroshka's voice was as cold and lifeless as it was in his memories. Hearing him speak, even just seeing him again like this, sent Bucky back to dark, horrible places inside his mind.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, squeezing Boroshka's neck harder. He engaged the plates of his arm, shifting them into position. Locking them. Preparing them. _"_Why are you on this island? Why do you work for Stark? TALK_."_

A laugh came from Boroshka's thin lips. "How are you alive? How did you escape?" He dared to inch his face closer. "Who is the woman who arrived on the island with you?"

Every muscle in Bucky's body tensed at the mention of Alexis.

He didn't care for talking, anyways.

He lunged at Boroshka, swinging his metal arm and the butt of the gun directly at Boroshka's head. Boroshka tried to duck but was too slow. He caught the edge of Bucky's solid fist, the sound like a hard _pop _when it collided with his skull. He fell backwards, only to feel the cold iron grip of Bucky's metal fist pulling him up by the hair.

"I said _talk." _

Boroshka's head throbbed where metal had collided with his skull. It took him a second, but his eyes gradually floated upward until his gaze met Bucky's. What shocked Boroshka most was that there was none of the frigid depth left in his eyes like there had been in Siberia. Something was different. The ghost's voice was just as dark and just as commanding, but it was also different somehow. His _strength, _however, had not changed one bit.

When Boroshka didn't answer, Bucky shook him by his head. "_TALK."_

So Boroshka did:

"Желание." _(Longing.) _

The first word came out hoarse, Boroshka's voice gravelly from their fight.

_"_Pжавый." _(Rusted.)_

"Cемнадцать." _(Seventeen.)_

Bucky felt that noticeable hitch occur at the base of his neck hearing the words. The same thing happened in the garage as well, and it caused just a fraction of hesitation in him. He never loosened his grip on Boroshka, but he _dared _him with his eyes to keep going. He wanted to prove it to himself, as much as he did Boroshka, that he was no longer under their control.

Boroshka saw the challenging look in the ghost's stare and ignored it.

"Pассвет." _(Daybreak)._

"печь." _(Furnace.)_

Nothing was happening. The confidence Boroshka had began to slip.

He pushed the words out of his mouth harder now, as though more effort might result in something different:

"девять!" _(Nine!)_

"добросердечный!" _(Benign!)_

Still, the ghost wasn't budging. The intensity he held in his gaze was nothing like Boroshka had ever seen.

"Возвращение на Родину!" _(Homecoming!)_

How those words had haunted Bucky. He listened to Boroshka speak them and felt the muscles in his shoulders tighten. A dull ache began to pulse in the center of his skull. But still...nothing else happened. No matter how harshly Boroshka spoke the words, no matter how loudly his voice got - _nothing happened. _

"Why the FUCK aren't you COMPLYING?!" Boroshka shouted, spittle flying from his lips.

Bucky grit his teeth and leaned in close. "Because I am no longer _anyone's _slave."

He slammed his head square into Boroshka's forehead, head-butting him backward into his mess of a kitchen counter. Plates scattered everywhere, glasses smashing on the floorboards. "Get up" Bucky growled.

Boroshka slipped on the shattered glass, grabbing onto the edge of the counter to keep his balance. When Boroshka didn't act fast enough for his liking, Bucky strode towards him and launched his metal fist into the side of his head. This sent Boroshka flying to the other end of the room, where his body crumpled to the floor.

One more time, Bucky went to him. He tightened his metal fingers deep into his graying hair and hauled him upright. "I said _TALK._"

Blood ran in a single line from the wound on Boroshka's temple. Weakly, he pulled his lips back in a condescending smirk. "I never took orders from you before, _Зимний солдат_. I will not do so now."

A tight laugh left Bucky when he heard this. He pointed his gun to the ceiling and fired one shot. In less than 5 seconds, Alexis stood in the doorway.

Boroshka saw the woman and almost laughed. He should have known the ghost would not come alone. The shocker was that it was the same woman from the private jet, from the day they first borrowed the enemy's jeep: dark hair, dark eyes, and athletic build - and a fixed stare that could have cut through glass.

She approached with confidence, a slight sway to her hips. "Hello Oro."

Boroshka spit on the ground in front of her in response.

Alex eyed Bucky with amusement. She gave him a single nod, and Bucky spun behind Boroshka, his metal arm putting him into an immoveable headlock. For extra measure, he brandished his knife and pressed the blade to Boroshka's neck, the tip aimed for the artery.

"One move and it's over."

Boroshka swallowed when he felt the tip deliver a pinprick of pain against his skin. There was nowhere he could go, not while he remained locked inside that metal arm. He knew what that arm could do. He knew he was pinned. His curiosity, however, was peaked by the woman. Why was the ghost letting her run things? Was she a soldier too?

Alex took another few steps towards Boroshka. She gave him a once over, never more convinced she hated someone more than she did him. Her mind lapsed back to all the horrors Bucky had told her in the months that they'd been together. She thought about all the memories she sifted through from his time in Siberia, always moving from one Hydra facility to the next and being a part of any number of inhumane experiments. This was her chance to look one of them in the eye and see what true evil really looked like.

Boroshka sneered. "What is so interesting?" His Russian accent was coming out now. Gone was the pretending, and with it, his fake American accent.

Alex stood staring at him a second longer before she allowed her eyes to meet his. "Just getting a good look at what a weak, soulless piece of shit really looks like."

Boroshka snorted. "You think I am weak, do you?" He began to laugh but Bucky's arm tightened around his neck so hard that he was forced to swallow it. "Ask _him _how weak I am" he croaked.

"I'll find out for myself, thank you." Alex lifted her hand in front of his face, palm open. "This won't be pleasant, but try and be a good boy and stay still." She locked her hand onto his face and closed her eyes.

When her powers shot into Boroshka, he shuddered violently. She nearly crushed his skull between her fingers from the force she inherited from Bucky, but luckily, she caught herself and adjusted her newfound strength before she did any harm. Once she gained control, she concentrated her whole being on going into his nightmare of a mind, searching and sifting through the memories and events he kept there.

There were three themes Alex encountered time and time again inside Boroshka: _Hurt. Anger. Betrayal._

Over and over and over, these three emotions reappeared. And, not unlike Tony Stark had been the first time she read him, Boroshka also had road blocks that he created inside his psyche. Alex excelled at bypassing these now; Boroshka was no match for her.

She came his memories of Siberia and Bucky was there.

_No, not Bucky.  
__Hydra's Tool. _

She didn't want to see any of it. The memories were like black clouds, their contents full of misery and pain. She blew past these memories. She'd heard enough, _seen _enough, to know what was in them.

Outside of her, beyond the depth and intensity of where she was within her powers, Alex could just barely make out that Boroshka was struggling. She dove deeper inside his mind, ignoring everything beyond her physical body. Bucky would keep him subdued until she was finished.

And then she found what they were looking for: Boroshka's end with Hydra. His removal from the program. His exile to Poland. His years in hiding. His developing paranoia. Alexis clung to these moments inside him, wringing them for the answers they needed: why was he here, was he plotting against Tony or the Avengers, and who knew about him.

Alex discovered S.H.I.E.L.D. was at the forefront of it all.

Someone inside knew Boroshka and had let him in. They gave him a menial job somewhere he wouldn't get in trouble in exchange for keeping eyes on Tony at all times, reporting back about him over the course of several years.

Stark had never met the groundskeeper named Oro. He'd gone by many names in his past, changing his appearance, changing his stories, always evading and always being helped by someone inside S.H.I.E.L.D.

Boroshka was also not planning anything against Stark. He hated him, just like he hated everyone labeled an Avenger, but seemed to view Tony and the others only as a nuisance.

Alex dug through Boroshka's memories, learning that his only true obsession was with Hydra. His life seemed to revolve around his unhealthy, compulsive desire to get back into the evil organization so he could serve them again. He served the man inside S.H.I.E.L.D. in hopes of being reunited with his old family, his _Hydra _family, but that day would never come. Based on what Alex could read, Boroshka suspected this.

But what happened within Hydra that had forced him out in the first place? Alex went deeper, searching for this one valuable moment in time within Boroshka's psyche. What she found were faces she hadn't seen before. Names she never heard uttered during her brief time as an Avenger. Not even in the time she and Bucky were together did she recognize anything she saw within those crucial memories. She took everything she could from these and banked them in her own memory to discuss with Bucky later. Her powers wrapped around every detail, forcing Boroshka to relive them as she did so.

Outside her, Boroshka screamed.

Bucky maintained a strong headlock as Boroshka wailed against the feeling of Alex violating his mind. He kept him as still as he could, waiting until Alexis was finished. Her eyes remained closed while she worked; her face relaxed and motionless. Every time he saw it, it was fascinating to watch.

Finally, when Alex got everything they needed, she backed out of Boroshka's ugly psyche as fast as she could. The force of her retraction caused her to stumble backward, bumping in to a small table and knocking it over. Her powers retracted back inside her and the white light around her body faded. Once she was able to settle her breathing and calm her mind of what she'd just learned, she looked up to find Bucky staring at her with concern.

"Get everything?" His gaze was hard, but it contained that familiar hint of question behind it; the one that worried about her welfare and if she was alright. It may not be noticeable to anyone else, but Alex could recognize the subtly in his eyes better than anyone.

She answered his veiled question with a quick nod, then stood shakily. "Yes. Got it everything I could."

Bucky's expression relaxed, but his arm stayed wrapped around Boroshka's neck. "Do I let him go?"

"Not yet."

Boroshka was still visibly in pain from her powers entering his mind. He writhed against Bucky as the aftershocks of her invasion wore off, whimpering pathetically. When Boroshka opened his eyes and saw Alex standing near him, he clamored backwards, pushing against Bucky to no avail.

"_No_, please...no more...stay away..."

"Tell me who the mole is within S.H.I.E.L.D. that hired you" Alex demanded. "Who helped you get this job?"

Boroshka shook his head frantically. Bucky held the knife to his throat harder, drawing blood from the point as he dug it into his neck. "Answer her."

A flick of Boroshka's grey eyes shifted back at Bucky, followed by a twitch of his mouth. "_He _knows who it is." His voice was barely above a whisper. "_He _knows."

Boroshka felt the metal arm around his throat loosen just enough to let him continue talking. This could be his only chance. The only way he could win his old family back. If he could divide the ghost and the woman, he might have a chance.

"Do you remember the original program assigned to you, _Зимний солдат?" _he asked Bucky. "Do you remember who was in charge of it?"

Bucky let go of Boroshka completely. "No."

"You do. I see it in your eyes."

"_No." _Bucky raised his gun to eye-level and pointed it at Boroshka. "Not another word."

Alex looked between the men, feeling her heart begin to race. "What program?" Neither answered, only stared at one another. The look they shared spoke of some kind of knowledge between them, one that she didn't understand.

Boroshka's eyes never left Bucky or the gun pointed directly at him. "You did not tell her?"

Bucky exhaled, nostrils flaring. "I'm not that person anymore."

"But you _were." _Boroshka walked towards the barrel pointed at him in Bucky's hands. "It is who you remember. He left before I did. _Erik_. Surely you remember Erik? You two were close, no?"

"I am _not that person _anymore" Bucky repeated.

When Alex saw Bucky's hand begin to tremble, she'd had enough. She pulled the other gun from its holster and pointed both barrels at Boroshka. "You have three bullets aimed at your head, asshole. You aren't getting out of this alive. Quit wasting our time with these pointless games and tell us who the mole is."

Boroshka was never spoken to in this manner before, let alone by a woman. Her boldness infuriated him, but the way she entered his mind..._that _scared him. What an interesting combination, all in one woman. No wonder the ghost cared for her.

But if he could continue this revelation he was working on, it may be the only way he could get her back for what she did to him...for raping his mind. _And _it could be the only way he could get the ghost to return to Hydra with him. The activation words may not work anymore, but good old fashioned betrayal _always _did.

Turning, Boroshka stared at Alex. She was a sight to behold with her guns and her angry eyes and her quick tongue. He smiled at her. "You love him, don't you?"

"Don't listen to him, Alexis" Bucky said, his voice dropping a level. "Whatever he says, do _not _listen to him."

Boroshka paid him no mind. "I can see you do. I see the way you look at him. The way he protects you now. It does not take long to see there is love there. So...why didn't he tell you about the program he was originally assigned to in Siberia?"

Alex flicked her eyes between Boroshka and Bucky. She swallowed, feeling doubt creep throughout her tense body.

"Before the super serums were acquired, did he tell you that Hydra attempted to breed their first Winter Soldier?"

The entire room suddenly went cold. Alex heard the words leave Boroshka's mouth, but they didn't seem to register inside her mind.

"They bred him like an animal with female recruits, hoping they could make copies of their creation" Boroshka continued, his smile calm and calculated.

Alex's hands went limp and her arms turned to dead weights. _Bred him like an animal. _The thought turned her stomach until she felt sick. She centered her eyes on Bucky, who had since lowered his own weapon. The light in his eyes had died, and the look on his face pleaded to her.

"He's lying to you." His voice was full of grief. "You know everything about me, Alexis. _Everything_. You know he's lying. I have nothing to hide from you_._"

Alex felt her own hands begin to shake, so she lowered her weapons.

Boroshka's smile grew. "So he never told you, hmm? I see now. It seems the trust between you has not been what it's seemed."

Alex couldn't pull her gaze from Bucky. _So many firsts_, he'd said to her that morning. His first girlfriend since the war. His first dance. His first fuck. His first love. _His first. _

A familiar ache began to knot inside her stomach. It was the ache of hurt she felt her entire life, from her childhood to her teenage years, right up until Nick Fury found her and recruited her. The same hurt that Bucky had been so good at replacing with his love.

"I wonder how many offspring of yours are still alive in this world?" Boroshka continued, turning towards Bucky. "Do you ever wonder? Or do you suppose Hydra killed them too?"

Bucky shook his head. "Fuck you, Gribinov."

Boroshka was so close. He was _so close _to dividing them. Once he was successful, he could work on the ghost. If he could pull this off, there was still a chance he could get back to his old family...just as long as the woman continued to question the ghost's loyalty.

Alex stared at Bucky, feeling the fresh wound of hurt beginning to split open. "Is this true? This program he's talking about?"

Bucky's throat bobbed. "That part is true."

The air left Alex's lungs. "And they bred you?" The words sounded so foreign she couldn't believe they even left her mouth. She barely heard them over the sound of her own tortured heartbeat.

"They wanted to, but the program never went anywhere."

"What does that mean?"

"They had it all planned out but then the serums surfaced, so I never had to do it." Bucky shook his head sadly. "You _know _this, Alexis. You know Boroshka is lying. He's a master manipulator. Don't let him do this to you."

Next to them, Boroshka began to laugh.

Alex continued to stare at Bucky, her breath shaking inside her chest. "So I'm still your first?" Her lip trembled as fear consumed her. She needed him to say it. She _had _to hear him say it.

"You are." Bucky took another step forward, a deeply pained look in his eyes. "I have never lied about that. I have never lied to you about anything. _You know this._"

Those beautiful, large eyes of Bucky's looked at her - _truly _looked at her - and Alexis felt his love reaching out to her. She _did _know this. She knew Bucky would never lie to her. Deep down, despite the fear she felt at Boroshka's words and the sickening image that played in her mind, she knew Bucky had nothing to hide from her. This is what Hydra did. They broke people down, chiseled away at their capacity to love and to hope, and instilled fear and doubt where they could.

Boroshka didn't understand the hesitation between them. He began to feel his anxiety climbing, wondering why the couple was staring at one another without saying anything. He forced a strained laugh, breaking their attention. "Well isn't that convenient! What else would someone say when they were backed into a corner, huh?"

A switch flipped inside Alex's mind. Anger rekindled inside her so fiercely, her knuckles turned white as she steadied her grip on the guns and raised them once more, barrels aimed at Boroshka's head. "My thoughts exactly."

He recoiled. "Wait, what?"

"_What else would someone say when backed into a corner" _Alexis repeated, feeling confidence flowing through her once more. "Wasn't that what you just said?"

His eyes lowered to the barrels. "Yes..."

Alex smirked. "I'll tell you what they would do: they would try and lie their way out of a situation they knew they weren't getting out of alive."

Boroshka realized his error. His projection outed him, and she caught it. Whoever this woman was, he hated her. _Hated her. _His hunger to end her life raged in his gray eyes. He wanted to spill her guts in front of the ghost; have her blood run over his floor and watch it spray across the walls. She ruined his plan. Her presence, her voice, everything about her was an insult not just to him, but to Hydra itself.

Boroshka made his final mistake when he charged at Alexis.

He didn't even make it one full stride before Bucky's knife struck the back of his neck, lodging so deeply that the blade pierced through the front of his throat. Boroshka stumbled to the floor, falling limply onto his hands and knees as blood pooled beneath him. A horrific gurgle came from him as he began to choke on his own blood.

Bucky walked over calmly. He yanked the knife out of Boroshka's neck, then pushed him with the heel of his boot until he fell onto his back. Boroshka stared up at him and attempted to speak, but only blood bubbled from the gaping wound.

Bucky knelt in front of him, thumbing the blade of his knife thoughtfully. "I've dreamt about this moment for so long" he mused. "I used to think about all the ways I would kill you if I got the chance." He eyed Boroshka one last time. "_Protecting the love of my life _was the best possible way."

He rose, sheathing his knife without another word to the man dying on the floor.

Alex remained standing in shock. Since the moment the knife hit Boroshka and a spray of his blood had spattered across her face, she hadn't moved. Now, her eyes met Bucky's as he walked past her.

"Leave him" Bucky said.

Alex nodded; still feeling like the past minute or two had been in slow motion. She gave a glance in Boroshka's direction, then followed Bucky out of the shack.

Boroshka Gribinov would die alone on the floor of his hut, beneath the wall of his family who deserted him, killed by the Winter Soldier and the love he had for his girl.

* * *

Bucky grabbed a flare and a small torch from the back of Boroshka's work truck. He touched the flame of the torch to the flare, watching as it sparked and crackled to life. After replacing the torch, he tossed the flare into the line of gasoline Boroshka had spread around his hut.

The flames spread in a perfect circle around the home, grew taller, then engulfed the shack completely.

Without looking back, Bucky and Alexis walked away from the inferno building behind them. Bucky heard the windows shatter from the pressure, then felt a pulse of hot air against his back. He wanted to smile. He wanted to feel good about what had happened. But all he felt was calm.

He opened his hand for Alex, her fingers entwining between his.

They took the dirt road back to the woods, avoiding all cameras as they'd done on their way in. They took the Jeep back to the garage and left the keys on Boroshka's desk.

As far as anyone knew, only a ghost could have been at Boroshka's hut that day. There was no evidence that Bucky or Alexis had been there, no evidence of a struggle, no evidence of anything.

That's what you get when you mess with a ghost, after all.


	7. Chapter 6

**Trigger Warning: Very brief mention of suicide (not descriptive).**

* * *

Alex stood in front of the bungalow's washroom mirror, absentmindedly drying the ends of her hair with a towel. She stared into the mirror but saw nothing, her eyes glazed over and her thoughts scattered. She couldn't locate a single thought inside her at that moment.

Her eyesight drifted back into focus, rising a little to see her reflection staring back at her. The blood and sweat had been washed away, but not the dirty feeling that still lingered. With a resigned sigh, she left the towel on the sink and went back to the bedroom.

Bucky was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her, his large frame slumped and tired. He'd taken off his button-down, but the black cotton undershirt he still wore was soaked with sweat and clinging to the muscular lines of his chest and abs. The metal of his arm peeked through his shirt, the hardness of it such a giant contrast to the soft look on his face. His eyes rose to meet her as she took a seat next to him on the bed.

"Feel any better?" He cupped his hand on the back of her neck and massaged it slowly.

"A little." Alex fiddled with one of her nails. "We should talk."

Bucky withdrew his hand, feeling a twinge of nervousness in his stomach. "Okay."

Alex didn't even know where to start. She needed to apologize to him, but she had no idea she would feel this uncomfortable or this shitty doing it. And naturally, she felt the fresh sting of tears in her eyes already starting and she hadn't even said anything. "First, I want to tell you how sorry I am."

His brows drew together. "Sorry for what?"

Alex kept her eyes on her knees. "For doubting you." She felt her breath wobble in her chest. "I should have never, _ever_ doubted you like I did." Even without looking at him, she could feel Bucky's comforting presence next to her. His body radiated warmth in a way that made her want to fall into his protective arms and never leave. "I don't know what came over me, but I just got so scared."

Bucky lifted his hand to her head, stroking tenderly. "What Boroshka did back there...it's what he was trained to do. His skill set is belittling others. Deceiving them. _Lying _to them. He tried to use the one thing he could, and it didn't work._" _

Alex knew what he said was the truth, but she still couldn't help the tears that limped down her cheeks. "It's just...The thought of you with...with someone else..."

"Alexis..."

"To think of you like that? Even if it had been forced?" She exhaled hard and met Bucky's gaze, her bottom lip trembling. The words burned on her tongue, but the picture in her mind was far worse. "To think of you with some woman, rutting her like a wild animal because Hydra—"

Bucky drew her into his arms, holding her head against his chest. "Don't even say it. None of it happened. It _won't _happen_._ You never have to worry about me being with anyone besides you."

Alex clung to Bucky's shoulders, letting his touch soothe her. His arms were her safe place; they blocked out the world while providing everything she needed within them. But no matter how weak or completely drained she felt, Bucky never made her feel stupid for reacting the way she did. It made her realize all over again how awful she felt for doubting him. "I'm just so sorry, James" she reiterated through shaky breaths.

"I know, doll. It's okay."

"I just never knew I could love this hard, or realized what it could do to me."

Bucky smiled. He knew the fear she spoke of and what it could make a person do, because he loved her just the same. When he saw the flash of doubt in her eyes earlier, he never once thought he would lose her to Boroshka's lies. He'd seen Boroshka do the same to others so many times in his past. He'd also seen it work on weaker individuals, one of which had been himself. Whether Boroshka's tactics were done while he was brainwashed or not, he'd still fallen for it. But he _wasn't _weak anymore, and the love he shared with Alexis was stronger than deceit. Hydra could try a thousand times and never succeed against them because they had something Hydra never would, and that was love.

Alex sniffled, then pulled back a little to look him in the eyes. "Are you angry?"

Bucky's shoulders dropped, troubled that she even asked the question. "Of course I'm not! Are you angry with _me?_"

For a split second, Alex thought he was crazy. _"_You!?"

"You really think I was going to let you take all the blame here?" Bucky cupped a hand along the side of her neck and leveled his eyes with hers. Alex's lashes were still heavy with tears, glistening in a way that made her eyes appear large and frightened. It made his heart ache to see her this upset, but he understood all too well how her mind got ahead of her at times, and what was likely playing over and over inside that mind of hers. If it had been him, and someone told him that Alex was used by other men as a breeding machine, he knew his reaction would have been far more destructive.

"Just let me say this" he began, "I owe you an apology as well." Alex was about to argue, but he held up a patient finger. "I should have explained that part of my past."

"You don't owe an explanation to anyone for what happened to you there" Alex uttered. "That's exactly why I feel bad about the reaction I had. I just couldn't stop the mental picture I had of you being forced to...breed with other women." Once again, the word _breed_ tasted awful leaving her mouth. "Them getting pregnant with your child-"

"-that won't ever happen. It _can't _happen." Bucky caressed her face and his voice softened. "They sterilized me...not long after they found the serums."

There was a fragment of pain in his eyes when he said this. Hurt rippled through Alex, her powers sensing his turmoil. Back when she and Bucky first began dating, they had a brief conversation about protection. As a result of her powers and her scant amount of sexual experience (_because_ of her powers), Alex never had a reason to consider getting on birth control. But during those first few weeks together, Bucky told her how she never had to worry about that sort of thing "with him", and she assumed it was due to something stemming from his super serum. Now he was revealing it wasn't just because of the serum, but because Hydra had taken that ability from him. Yet another choice, another part of himself, stolen from the people who ruined him for decades. It squeezed at Alex's heart, wrenching anger from her at the organization she already loathed.

"Probably for the best, huh?" Bucky said, forcing the corner of his mouth to lift.

Alex could see he didn't mean it. She found herself at a loss for words suddenly. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to prove wrong about that statement, but the topic was touchy. Maybe it had been for the best when they were mistreating him and making him a weapon under such awful conditions - but now? She supposed it didn't really matter to wonder. They would never know anyways.

But what Alex _was _certain of, more than anything else in that moment, was that Hydra was evil. Pure evil. Boroshka's death was another notch in their belt, but one notch would never be enough. If she did nothing else her entire life but hunt down others like Boroshka, she'd be satisfied, but she would never stop hunting them.

Bucky could see storm clouds brewing inside Alex's dark eyes. He brushed back a piece of her damp hair from her shoulder, just to give himself a reason to touch her. "I wish you weren't so quiet right now. I don't know what's going on inside your head."

She lifted her eyes to his. "I don't even know what's going on inside my head right now." Her smile was tight, but she tried to broaden it for him. "Today was a lot."

"It was." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, using that extra second to feel the reassurance of her skin against his. "Thank you for being there with me."

Alex cradled Bucky's face in her hands. She touched the hollowed lines of his cheeks as though she was admiring his features for the first time. The way his mouth curved up at the corners, making him look as though he was smiling even when he was sad. The stubble that highlighted his mouth, thicker around his upper lip and thinner along the sides. The strong angle of his nose, the proud brow, and those giant eyes that were so full of love and hope. Her kind and handsome hero. Her soldier. Her Sergeant.

"What I _should _be asking is how you feel now...after everything that happened" Alex told him. _This_ was what she should have been focusing on. Not the ways Hydra had defeated Bucky, but the ways _he _had defeated _them_.

Bucky saw the genuine look in Alex's eyes and knew what she was alluding to: the activation words Boroshka had attempted to use on him. "I haven't really took time to process any of it" he answered honestly. "It's hard for me to describe, but...a part of me knew it wouldn't work. Almost as if something inside me felt different enough to know that if Boroshka tried the words on me, they wouldn't work."

"And they didn't." Alex stroked his worn face, placing a soft kiss to his mouth. "I'm so proud of you."

A cautious smile played at his lips, but his eyes looked like they wanted to dance in celebration of his hard work. Alex felt he deserved more than just a sentence or two of humble recognition, but there was also something beautiful in the simplicity of the moment. Bucky's power wasn't a roar so much anymore as it was a strong, stable current of control. Acknowledging his success together, in the privacy of their little bungalow and without fanfare, seemed just right.

"Looks like we both beat all the traps set for us today" she remarked. The second she said it, she felt fresh tears start to form all over again. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes and laughed. "Dammit, I'm sorry..."

Bucky gave her a sympathetic smile. He could tell how tired she was. From the fleshy pouches beneath her eyes to the way she slouched to the fresh set of tears, all her emotions were more than likely being amplified by exhaustion. He noticed it start right after she released his mirrored skills and abilities from herself via her powers. He couldn't imagine how it took a toll on her body, but he could see the evidence of it after every mission.

"Let's lie down" he said, smoothing back Alex's hair. "No more thinking. No more apologizing. No more anything. Just resting. How's that sound?"

Alex gave him an embarrassed look. "You don't have to take care of me, James."

"Well that's where you're wrong" he said with a smile. "I may not _have _to, but I _want _to."

Wiping her cheeks, Alex couldn't help but laugh. "But you haven't showered yet?"

Bucky waved a dismissive hand. "I don't need a shower." He was joking, of course, but was trying to make her smile. Her happiness was like nourishment to him. When he saw the tiniest of smirks appear on Alex's face, he conceded. "Okay, maybe I do." He wound his arms about her waist and they held on to one another in a lasting hug. Bucky used that moment to truly cherish the woman he was holding in his arms. "Thank you for always being you, Alexis." He gave her a peck on the cheek before he stood. "Make yourself comfy. I'll be right back."

Alex watched after him, his fingers lingering in hers as he pulled away. When he disappeared behind the washroom door and she was alone once more, she felt the true weight of her exhaustion settle into her bones.

The sound of the shower turning on drew her attention away from her weariness. She heard the clunk of the bar of soap on the shower floor, knowing Bucky had dropped it yet again. He dropped the soap almost every time he showered, so much so that she expected to hear it every time he was in there. It was such a simple sound. So domestic. So typical of what had become her everyday life. And yet it made her smile, and it made her forget about the bad things and the bad people in the world.

Giving in to her body's need for comfort, Alex crawled up the length of the bed and burrowed beneath the sheets. Once in place and wrapped in the softness of the blankets, it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. She tried, though. She really tried. But the damn mattress was so soft and the sheets were so comfortable against her skin. The last thing she remembered before she lost the battle with her eyelids was hearing the shower turn off.

Bucky emerged only a few minutes later wearing his favorite pair of sleep shorts and running a towel through his hair. When he saw Alexis under the blankets with her eyes closed, he couldn't help but smile.

As soundlessly as he could, he tossed his towel and his dirty clothes in the growing pile in his corner of the room and climbed into bed. He snuggled in next to Alex, settling on his side to face her. For a moment he lay there admiring her, trying to sort through the emotions of the day in his mind and make sense of everything that happened.

One thing that stuck in his mind was Alex's reaction earlier. Not because of anything negative, but because it was a whole new feeling to him. Not once in his life had someone felt jealous or hurt over the thought of him with someone else. Even in the twisted sense of Hydra and their failed breeding program, Alex was still sickened by the thought of him with someone. This was so alien to him. So unusual. Jealousy wasn't something he could even really remember, not even before the war in the memories he could recall.

Letting his eyes roam over Alex, Bucky took in her peaceful image with a sense of comfort. In the four days they'd been on the island, each day had been completely different. Each night they shared this bed together had varied so distinctly from nights prior. When they stepped off the private jet, he had no idea the trip would have gone the way it did.

An ironic smile crossed his face. Apparently, Avengers couldn't take a week off without something happening.

They still had one full day left on the island. Two full days before the shit storm that awaited them back at Headquarters when they informed everyone of what happened.

Bucky exhaled a sigh. He closed his eyes, trying to push anything that didn't involve the present moment from his brain. Within minutes he was fast asleep, and all that had been on his mind was forgotten.

The pair slept straight through the night with no interruptions.

Only once did Alex awaken. She padded to the washroom around midnight and wasted no time getting back into bed and sliding into place next to Bucky. He remained asleep on his side, but when he felt Alex's body push back against his, his arm subconsciously wound about her waist and hugged her closer, his larger frame molding to hers.

Alex wasn't sure if he was awake or not, especially when she felt his lips brush against her neck. It was feather-light; not really a kiss but more of a reflex. Just as his arms had reached for her in the middle of his slumber, his mouth also sought out her skin. Bucky's need to feel her and have the assurance of her touch never stopped, not even in the dead of sleep.

And so she waited, wondering if Bucky would say something if he was actually awake, but then she felt his muscles go slack around her. The rise of his chest against her back slowed, and the weight of his arm draped around her center became heavier.

_Nope. Definitely asleep, _she thought with a small smile. Sometimes it wasn't the big, bold ways Bucky showed his love, but the subtle acts that left her feeling loved and adored. His body heat encasing her with a sense of comfort and safety, warming her and relaxing her. With his strong heartbeat steady against her back, it took no time at all before Alexis was lulled back asleep.

* * *

The next morning came, and the couple slept through their usual wake-up time. They set no alarms, of course, but between the activity and tension of the previous day and knowing they had absolutely no commitments ahead of them, they were able to truly sleep in.

When a knock on their door came later that morning, Alex was the first to hear it. She pulled away from Bucky's embrace, blinking hard as her eyes adjusted to the bright light streaming into the bungalow. She had no idea who it could be that would need them that morning. Not a single person had come to the bungalow the whole time they'd been there, so to hear a knock on the door was a bit of a surprise.

Glancing down at herself to make sure she was decent (her t-shirt and sleep boxers looked just fine), Alex opened the door. On the other side stood Heilani, and she was crying.

"Oh no, I am so sorry!" Heilani held a shaky hand up to her mouth when she saw Alexis in her sleep attire. "I didn't mean to bother you if you were still asleep? I'm so sorry..."

Alex's brain quickly caught up to what was happening. She pushed some of her unruly bed-hair out of her face and hugged her arms over her chest, trying to cover the fact she was very bra-less in front of someone who could have been her grandmother. "What's wrong, Heilani?" She knew exactly what was wrong, but this was phase three of her and Bucky's plan.

Heilani shook her head rapidly, as though her disbelief was too great to voice. "I have terrible news. Terrible, terrible news. I'm so sorry to have to bother you and Mr. Barnes right now with this..."

A part of Alex felt horrible. Heilani's tears were real and her grief was evident in the closed-off way she stood. She wished she could reach a tender hand out to comfort her, but that wasn't possible with her powers. She did her best to appear genuinely confused and surprised when Heilani delivered the news she already knew.

"Remember yesterday, when I told you our groundskeeper called in sick?" she asked Alex, sniffling.

Alex nodded. "I do. Is he alright?"

Heilani's lips pursed together as the tears came on harder. "I'm afraid not, Miss Markos. I'm afraid not." Her dark eyes lifted. "He passed away sometime in the night."

A soft gasp. A look of shock. Eyes full of hurt and bewilderment. Alex played the part, and played the part well. "Oh Heilani." Her expression wilted with feigned sympathy. "I am so, _so _sorry."

"When he didn't show up or call this morning..." Heilani inhaled and shook her head. "...we sent another of our employees out to check on him, and..." Her voice trailed off as sorrow overwhelmed her. "I'm sorry, please excuse me."

Alex nodded. "Take your time, Heilani."

The woman pulled a fresh tissue from her pocket. "Thank you, dear."

In the room behind her, Alex heard heavy footsteps against the hardwood floor coming her way. She didn't need to turn around to see that Bucky had awoken and was joining her at the door. She felt his presence crowding behind her in the doorway, his bare chest skimming the back of her as he closed in.

"Heilani?"

When the older woman saw Bucky, she began crying all over again. "Mr. Barnes, you'll have to forgive me, I did not mean to wake you both like this."

Bucky was as skilled at playing surprised as Alex had been. He placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, his dark brow bent with concern. "What's happening? Is something wrong?"

"I was just telling Miss Markos..." Heilani's voice began to shake again and she pulled out yet another tissue. "...that Oro has passed away, Mr. Barnes."

Bucky did what Alexis could not, and stepped beyond the door frame to give the older woman a hug. It was short-lived, but it was as heartfelt as he could make it. It was also the first time Alex saw Heilani smile.

"You're a kind man, Mr. Barnes."

Bucky shifted his gaze to Alex, regret swimming in the color of his eyes. "Thank you, Ma'am."

He returned to his spot next to Alex, and she gave him a sympathetic smile. She knew this would be the hardest part for Bucky; to pretend that he didn't know what happened. That he, himself, didn't have something to do with the news being delivered. He and Alex had discussed this very thing before they went into it: what they did, what the Avengers always did, was protect the innocent from the reach of those who were evil. Boroshka lied to all of them, had been watching all of them, banking his knowledge and reporting it. He would have used any one of them as he needed if it benefited him. As long as Boroshka was alive, none of the others on Stark's island were truly safe.

"I did not mean to wake you both with this sort of thing" Heilani repeated again. "It's just so unexpected. I thought you both should know, since, you know..."

Bucky draped his arm over Alex's shoulders, both of them holding on to one another as though they were truly sympathetic to the news. "We appreciate you telling us, Ma'am."

"Do you know how it happened?" Alex asked. "Was it his illness?"

Heilani blew her nose and wiped it daintily. "They're saying..." She exhaled, disheartened by what she was about to say. "...they're saying it was suicide. When they arrived at his home, they found it burnt to the ground. We were told there was a strong smell of gas everywhere." Heilani looked down at the dampened ball of tissue in her hands. "Not much was left. The fire destroyed everything. Not even the body was left..." Her tears returned. She turned away from the couple as she blew her nose again.

Alex and Bucky stood there quietly, giving Heilani the time she needed but also reflecting upon everything that happened. It was difficult to hear her cry. They tried to look as though they were both unsettled by the news, but they knew in the end it was for the best. Heilani, the other employees, those little girls they met a few days prior, none of them knew they were working with someone who tortured innocent people, brainwashed them, passed Stark's secrets on to the enemy, and harbored hate in his heart that was so ugly it was dangerous to be anywhere near him. But when Heilani turned back to face them, the expressions Bucky and Alex wore were genuine. They both stared at her with compassion and sadness, but for her and her alone.

"I'll let you both get back to whatever you had planned for the day" Heilani told them, waving the hand that held her tissues. "I just wanted you two to know."

"It's not a problem at all, Heilani. Thank you for thinking of us." Alex gave her a caring smile, wishing once more that she could reach out and give her a hug.

Heilani shifted her eyes timidly between them and then headed down the boardwalk.

Alex and Bucky stepped back inside the bungalow, their expressions matched by shared understanding. Bucky took Alex into his arms for a hug, and nothing more was said about Heilani's news.

* * *

It was around 11 pm in New York when Tony Stark received a phone call informing him that one of his employees that worked on his private island had passed away. The case was being ruled a suicide. In the interest of Stark and his island, another employee had made the call to inform him of the unfortunate news.

When the call ended, Tony remained staring at his cell with a puzzled look on his face. "Pep, you got a sec?"

Pepper emerged from the washroom, a towel wrapped around her hair and a robe covering her body. "What's up?"

Tony's eyes rose to meet hers. "The main groundskeeper from the island died."

"Our island!?"

"Yeah."

She took another step into their bedroom. "Did they say why?"

"Suicide."

Pepper's expression crumbled. "That's awful."

Tony lifted one of his eyebrows. "You know Barnes and Markos are still there?" He pointed at his wife with his phone. "How much you wanna bet they have something to do-"

"-_Tony_." Pepper immediately turned and went back into the washroom, though not without a lingering bit of laughter. "Do you even hear yourself sometimes?"

Tony followed after her. "Has anyone heard from the lovebirds since they whisked away to borrow our island for a week?"

Pepper went back to finishing her nightly facial routine. Her eyes shifted to meet her husband's in the mirror as she applied an expensive serum to her face. "You just answered your own question. They're off the grid and trying to enjoy themselves." She turned and faced him. "You ought to try it sometime."

Tony pulled a face.

Pepper made one right back.

"I'm still not buying it." Tony leaned against the doorway, arms folded over his chest. He watched Pepper for a moment as his mind raced further ahead. Deciding he needed more to this story, he whipped out his phone and dialed Barnes' number. The call went straight to his voicemail: "_You have reached the mailbox of... _Bucky. ..._Please leave a messa-"_

Tony heard the monotone depth of Barnes saying his own name and hung up before the rest of the canned message could finish.

He tried Markos next, but encountered the same thing. Not surprisingly, her voicemail was actually all her own recording and a little more personalized: "_Alexis here. Sorry I missed ya. Leave a message and I'll try and get back to ya ASAP."_

Tony hung up and sighed. So both went straight to voicemails...not completely out of the ordinary. He chewed his cheek irritably and watched as Pepper continued her routine. "So: two Avengers walk onto a Stark-owned island for a week of bliss and what happens? Someone dies."

"Sounds like a bad joke, honestly" Pepper mused.

"Exactly." Tony pushed off the door frame. "I'm calling Rogers." He didn't stick around to hear the eventual sigh he knew would come from his wife. He went back into the living room, dialed Steve's number, and waited. Three rings passed before the Captain's voice was heard.

"A little late for a phone call, don't you think?" Steve said upon answering.

"Why? You busy?"

"Tony, it's 11 pm and I'm down the hall. No, I'm not busy."

"_Okaaaay_, no reason to sass" Tony remarked, a little surprised by Steve's demeanor. "I forgot your bedtime is 8 o'clock. Old man needs his rest, I know-"

"-Is there something you needed?"

Tony smirked against the phone. "Are you dressed? Would love to speak with you about your boy, Barnes." As if on cue, Steve perked right up. His voice changed, but it held that flicker of concern it always did when someone was being cryptic about his friend.

"Is something wrong? What happened?"

So predictable, Tony didn't even bother to roll his eyes. "Just come down here. And bring your phone."

"Be there in 2 minutes."

He arrived in one.

Tony greeted him at the door, taking in 'after hours' Steve Rogers, dressed in a blue zip-up hoodie and a pair of plaid flannel sleep pants that seemed to be two sizes too big for his lean figure. Tony really did begin to wonder if he'd woken him.

Steve's hands were shoved into the pockets of his hood, but he lifted one out to show he brought his cell. "This better be good."

Tony waved him inside then shut the door. "Have you heard from Barnes since he left?"

"No. Not a word." Steve cocked his head, eyes squinting. "Why?"

"I tried to call both of them but both their phones are turned off" Tony replied. "Was wondering if you might have heard from them this week at all?"

"No. I haven't." The pale blue shade of Steve's eyes turned a little darker. "_Why_, Tony?"

"Funny thing: I just got a call from the island; one of my employees seems to have met an untimely death." Tony studied Steve's reaction, which did not disappoint.

"I don't see how that's funny at all" the blonde replied.

"Right, but isn't it funny how Barnes and Markos are both there and _this _happens?" Tony raised his own cell, twirling it casually in his hand. "I never hear anything from that place. Ever. Until _those two _vacation there."

Steve made a face and shoved his hands back into his hood pockets. "So you're telling me you think they killed your employee? On their _vacation?_" A tiny smirk played at his mouth. "C'mon, Tony."

Tony gave a very nonchalant, very unbothered shrug. "Just a theory."

"Okay, so...what do you want me to do about it?"

"Try calling them. Barnes will pick up if he sees your number."

"I thought you said their phones were turned off?"

"Well if they are, just leave a message. Tell Barnes you need to talk-"

Steve shook his head and turned away, trying not to laugh. "No. No way. I'm not interrupting Bucky and Alex's time alone because you have some theory you need to test."

"You really think two Avengers could really stay away from the fight, even for a week?" Tony hoped the seriousness in his tone was evident to Cap, because he was dead serious.

Steve met Tony's gaze with lingering humor. "Yes, in fact, I do."

"Ohh _pffft_." Tony waved a dismissive hand.

"Look - all I know is that Bucky was looking forward to this trip for weeks" Steve countered. "He told me he wasn't turning on his phone the entire time they were there. He wanted it to be just those two. No outside influences. No distractions. And I aim to honor that."

_Honor honor honor honor. _Tony sighed. Once Steve uttered that word, he knew it was over. "Alright" he said, walking over to the door. "If you do hear from either of them, would you mind at least telling me?"

"I absolutely will." Steve stepped into the hallway, but gave Tony one more glance. "How many days do they have left, again?"

Tony tried to think back to whatever Barnes had told him. "Uh...I don't know...two, maybe?"

Steve smiled. "Try and leave them alone for those two days, okay?"

Tony gave him a nod of acknowledgement. With nothing more said, he closed the door and Steve headed back down the hallway.

As Steve walked back to his apartment, he felt the temptation to give Bucky a call. Yes, Buck _did _tell him he'd have his phone off the whole week, so it didn't strike him as odd. But...something Tony said did nag him a little:

_I never hear anything from that place. Ever. Until those two vacation there._

Steve slowed his walk to a halt. He fished out his cell phone and brought up Bucky's number, then hesitated.

_No, I'm not calling him, _he thought. _If something happened, he'd tell me. _

Steve stared at the screen a moment longer, then put the phone back in his pocket and continued on to his apartment.

* * *

Back on the island, Bucky and Alex spread out a blanket on the beach and watched the sun set together. After the colors of the fading day disappeared into the dark sky above, they remained spread out on the blanket on their backs, gazing up at the stars and talking. Because of all the light pollution marked by their proximity to New York City, star gazing was a rare occurrence, especially when they could see as many stars as they could at that moment.

They were dressed down comfortably, maybe even a little overdressed. Even with the sun down and a breeze blowing along the beach, the night still felt a little balmy for almost midnight. Bucky wore white gym shorts and a heather gray t-shirt that bore the Avengers logo on the left check pocket. It was one of his softest shirts (Stark didn't skimp on the logo-wear, that was for sure), and Alex loved it any time she got to cuddle up against Bucky when he was wearing it. She donned a black shirt that bore the _Foo Fighters _band logo (one of her favorites, which was also slowly growing on Bucky) and her pink and gray plaid sleep shorts. She brought a long, loose cardigan in case it turned colder while they were out, but given how warm it stayed, she would likely use it more for a pillow than a cover-up.

Eventually, the night sky darkened enough that stars began to emerge, turning into countless glittering points of light all around them. Bucky held Alex's hand, his fingers lazily playing between hers as he gazed upward. "You ever wonder how many of those stars up there have worlds like ours?"

Knowing Bucky loved all things that had to do with space, Alex happily indulged him. "Thor is proof of that, isn't he?"

"True...But they can't all look like him, can they?"

"Who's _they_, specifically?"

"Whoever lives up there." He lifted a finger and pointed. "Like here, to the west - near that big cluster. See it?"

A smile formed on Alex's face. "I do. Who ya think lives there?"

Bucky settled his hands on his chest thoughtfully. "Alien race. Humanoid. Dark purple skin. Blue hair. Communicates through telepathy." He eyed her, a smile brewing. "They _might _even be able to read another's thoughts with their hands."

"Hey!" Alex shoved his shoulder playfully, getting a carefree laugh from him in return.

"Teasing, babe." He kissed her cheek. "I can't imagine you with purple skin _or _blue hair."

"I bet I could rock blue hair, though." She tried to hold back a giggle. "Where do you come up with this stuff, anyways?"

"You know how it is when I let my mind wander."

"...yeah, usually it ends up somewhere naughty."

Bucky gave her a glance. "Is that bad?"

His brazen grin told Alex he knew already knew the answer. "Not whatsoever." She nudged him in the shoulder for good measure. "But it's fun to hear what else your mind can come up with."

They settled back into a peaceful silence, their eyes returning to the night sky. Alex listened sound of the waves washing in and out, feeling her body growing heavier and sleepier. Maybe it was the rhythmic waves, the warm breeze, or just the events of the past two days catching up to her, she didn't know. All she knew was that it felt good to be laying there beside Bucky, doing what they did when they first arrived on the island.

"You know," she said after a while, "what we're doing right now is something most couples only ever dream of doing?" She rolled her head over to see Bucky. "Island getaway. A blanket on the beach. A quiet night alone under the stars..."

An easy smile formed on Bucky's mouth, but his eyes remained staring upward. "It is pretty romantic." He turned his face towards Alex, his smile lingering. "Easily the most romantic thing I've done in my life."

In the pale light of the moon, the strong features of Bucky's face were illuminated. Alex lost herself in it the mix of light and shadow that chiseled out his strong cheekbones and gave his mouth a more pronounced pout. Her eyes drifted down to his ample bottom lip, feeling the urge to kiss it but stopping herself instead.

Bucky was far too perceptive and way too in tune with her not to notice this slight hesitation. "Where'd your mind go just now?"

"Just thinking about how I would normally be turned on by all of this, if it wasn't for everything that happened." She couldn't help but feel guilty when she said this, as though mentioning it would only do more harm. It was how she felt, though, and she wanted to be honest on both counts.

Shifting his bulky form onto his side, Bucky gave Alex his full attention. In the darkness, the blue of his eyes had softened to appear more gray. Within them lay a mix of caution and concern. "Is what we talked about this morning still bothering you?" His voice echoed the worry he had for her well-being.

Alex shook her head. "Not any of that, no."

"What is it, then?" He reached over and placed his open palm on her stomach, warming her with his touch. "You can tell me. I won't be mad, you know that."

His hand on her stomach was a tender gesture; one that made Alex feel safe. It was large enough that it took up most of the width of her stomach, but the placement of it over her womb and belly button, was incredibly nurturing. She slid her hand over his, connecting with him. "I _do _know, and I love you for it. I think maybe it's just a little of everything since yesterday and it's all finally adding up. From Heilani's visit, to knowing the fallout that awaits us back home, to having this feeling that the tone of our vacation has changed..."

This last part got to Bucky. He'd felt it since the moment he realized who Boroshka was, and even more so now that they'd taken care of him. He swore he wouldn't let it impact the trip, but perhaps this was another lesson for him. A lesson in letting go of things he couldn't change. But that didn't mean he couldn't keep trying, if only for Alex's sake. They still had one full day left. One precious day. Regardless of whatever tone the trip had now taken, they were still together. There was nowhere else he'd rather be than with Alex.

"I keep waiting for you to tell me to knock it off" Alex joked, trying to lighten the mood. She looked over to see Bucky shaking his head at her.

"Never gonna happen, doll." His eyes crinkled at the corners. "To be honest, I feel the same way you do."

Alex was surprised to hear this. "Really?"

"I've just been trying to make sure you're happy." Bucky moved his hand up to cup her cheek. "You _are _happy, aren't you?"

She felt her heart puddle inside her chest. "You almost never - and I mean _never _\- have to ask me that question if I'm with you."

"I'm still going to."

"I see that."

Their smirks were a mirror of one another in that moment.

Alex wrapped two fingers around Bucky's chin, pulling him in for the kiss she denied herself earlier. "I am very happy" she told him. "And maybe everything I'm feeling is just because our trip is almost over. I don't want to leave this place when there's so much left to do and so much left to explore with you."

"Well that's the beauty of it" Bucky said with an encouraging grin. "We have our whole lives to explore together. Doesn't have to be limited to one week on an island."

Alex swallowed, pushing down the butterflies that were fluttering from her stomach up into her throat. Bucky wasn't one to talk about the future, at least not any further than a few days. She was always okay with this because the future scared her. She had about as much control over the future now as she did when she was younger, but at least _now _it was a brighter future. She found a family that accepted her, and a purpose that suited her. Bucky had been the wild card she never expected, but here she was lying on a blanket with him on a beach listening to him talk about _their whole lives together_.

While still on his side, Bucky opened his arms to her. "C'mere" he said, offering the space next to him on the blanket. Alex shifted into him, finding a comfortable spot with her back against his chest. The meaty muscle of his bicep acted as her pillow.

Bucky kissed her head and smoothed her hair down along her back. "Close your eyes, doll."

"Why?" Alex lifted her head, only to have Bucky gently nudge it back down.

"I'm going to take your mind off everything, and we're going to rewrite the tone of this vacation for the time we have left."

Intrigued, Alex nestled into the cocoon of Bucky's body as his metal arm tightened around her. She closed her eyes and felt his hand stroke her head in a slow, even pace.

"Ever since I met you" he whispered, "all I ever wanted to do was protect you, and make sure you felt loved. I hope I've done that."

"You have-"

"-Shh." He placed a light kiss behind Alex's ear. "You're listening right now, not talking."

She couldn't help but smile. "Okay, okay."

Bucky continued to stroke her hair, the silky strands effortlessly passing through his metal fingers. Her incredible body - lean and powerful and gorgeous - seemed so much smaller when she was laying against him like this. Between her flexibility and agility and the strength she could summon from her powers, Alex was a force to be reckoned with all her own. But when Bucky laid with her like this, with her hair in his hands and her tiny waist cupped inside his own, he felt like a true protector. After decades of brainwashing and a life crafted by chemicals and torture, nothing meant more or felt better to him than being a protector. _Her protector. _In his arms, Alexis would always be safe. In his arms, she would never have to worry about the likes of Boroshka, Hydra, or _any _of them.

Bucky pressed his mouth closer to her ear and closed his own eyes. "No matter what happened yesterday, no matter what concerns you had or what fears you felt, just know I'm never leaving your side." He trailed his fingers down along her arm slowly and drew them back up again. "Best team ever, a wise woman once said."

Alex broke into a huge smile. Even better, she could feel Bucky smiling as well. He continued with his calming touch, which in no time relaxed her smile into a more serene expression.

"Thank you for being by my side. Especially yesterday." He dragged his lips along her skin and kissed her shoulder. "You didn't have to, but you did. Never even hesitated." He brought his mouth back to her ear. "_Thank you_" he breathed.

There wasn't anything overtly sexual about Bucky's kisses or the words he was whispering, but Alex felt an unavoidable warmth unraveling below her belly. It was as intimate a moment as Alex ever experienced. It was tender and sweet, and she felt cared for in a way only Bucky had ever made her feel. But this, coupled with his needful touch and the intensity of his voice against her ear, was slowly undoing her.

"You're so good to me" Bucky uttered, his breath coaxing tingles from her skin. He traced a finger along her jaw to her ear, then down the length of her neck where he placed another soft kiss. "So, so good to me."

It was hard for Alex to hear these things and not respond. It was even harder for her not to roll Bucky over onto his back and attack his unfairly perfect mouth with her own. He must have sensed this, or maybe he just knew her this well at this point, because his hand moved down to her hip and gently cinched her in place against him. He tugged at the collar of her t-shirt a little, exposing more skin for him to taste.

"Every moment of every day, I crave you." He peppered the back of her neck and shoulder with kisses, each of them marked by the feel of his breath and tongue. "I crave your affection." He nibbled the flesh of her shoulder and licked the mark with his tongue. "I crave your desire." Another nibble, this time in the crook of her neck. "I crave your love."

His deep voice hummed against Alex's ear, his arms hugging her even closer. She sighed and leaned further into his touch. Everything felt so good. The subtle intensity of the moment. The ocean breeze. The salt in the air sticking to her skin. The body of her soldier pressed against hers while his breath tickled her skin.

"You are my everything, Alexis." He buried his nose in her hair and lowered his voice even further. "I love you with my whole heart."

Alex felt the warmth of metal fingers wrap gently about her jaw, turning her so her mouth was in line with his. Bucky kissed her, satiating her need to feel him. His tongue dipped inside her mouth, pulling a weak moan from her throat. When he pulled away, Alex was left breathless.

His blue eyes narrowed on her beneath heavy lids, and he smiled. It brightened his whole face, lighting in from within from the happiness he felt. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Alex closed hers too, and their mouths found another's once more. It was another one of those moments where Bucky and Alex's bond spoke in ways that words couldn't. They felt it, whatever it was that connected them, pulling between their bodies in that moment and they gave in to it fully.

The couple slept on the beach for the remainder of the night, wrapped in one another's arms under a blanket of stars, and let their connection heal the hurts of the day.


	8. Chapter 7

After falling asleep on the beach the night before, the rising sun was Bucky and Alex's natural alarm clock. Sherbet hues washed over them as they awoke, their eyes opening to a brightening sky. They remained in one another's arms all night, with Bucky spooning Alexis and keeping her warm when the temperature dropped. It was some of the best sleep Bucky ever had, and he hadn't even been in a bed.

They folded up their blanket, walked back to the bungalow hand-in-hand, and then took a shower together. Over a light breakfast, they both agreed that one more visit to their waterfall was exactly how they wanted to spend their last day on the island. If they were returning to "the real world" tomorrow, they wanted the lasting image of their favorite place from the trip to be fresh in their minds.

They got ready and dressed as they had almost every other day: Bucky in a t-shirt and mesh shorts with his navy blue hat on (brim pointed backwards today), and Alex in a tank top and cutoff denim shorts. She wore her white bikini underneath, the knot of the halter top sticking out above the tank top behind her neck and the two tiny little strings peeking out above the waist of her shorts. They teased Bucky as much then as they did that first day, and it brought a smile to his face.

They took their Jurassic Park styled Jeep back down the winding island highway. Bucky sat in the driver's seat with Alexis beside him, her bare feet hanging out the window and her hair blowing in the wind from the open roof. The sky was cloudless and seemed to stretch on forever ahead of them. The ocean on their left, the lush tropical forests on the right, and nothing but an open road ahead of them. It wasn't any different from the first trip they made down the highway, but it felt just as good.

When they passed the dirt road that used to lead to Boroshka's hut, Bucky took Alex's hand in his, kissed the back of it, and gave her a reassuring smile. Alex returned the gesture with a firm squeeze and a smile all her own. They conquered yet another chapter together. Because of it, Bucky was just a little bit freer, and Alex learned a little more about herself and the man who sat in the driver's seat currently sporting a backwards hat and a mile-wide grin.

They arrived at the nondescript pullout spot along the highway where the waterfall's trailhead was located. Bucky parked the Jeep in a shadowy spot beneath a cluster of palms and killed the engine. He looked sidelong at Alex, excitement written all over his face. "You ready for this?"

Despite the dark sunglasses that shielded his eyes from her, Alex could still tell from the way Bucky was grinning that his eyes were shimmering. Everything about him in that moment, from the sunglasses to the backwards hat to the sporty attire, was giving Alex major boyfriend-mode vibes. Of all the looks Bucky had, this was probably her favorite. She loved how painfully handsome he looked whenever he cleaned up and wore more formal attire, and she also loved how utterly intimidating he was in his uniform of kevlar and leather. There was nothing like witnessing the sheer intensity and ferocity he displayed on any given mission, which was swoon-worthy to the point Alex wasn't sure how she even managed to focus when she was on a mission with him.

But next to her in the Jeep, looking like he stepped out of a locker room and donning the smile of a supermodel, Bucky was just as beautiful as ever...if not more so.

She reached across the middle console and let her fingers play along his short beard. "Am I ever ready" she answered. Her powers were already thrumming in response to the thrill of the day that awaited them. But more than anything, she couldn't wait to leave the bullshit behind.

Following her kiss, Bucky's broad grin somehow grew even wider. "Let's go have some fun."

Feeling as free as they had when they first happened upon the path, Bucky and Alex disappeared into the tropical forest with the anticipation of one final day ahead of them to enjoy with no holds barred. It took no time to reach the falls this time, and Alex was already stripped out of her normal attire by the time she reached the bank that overlooked the lagoon. When she felt the billowing mist rising from the waters below, it was like visiting a friend. It moistened her hot skin, cooling her off before she even dove into the water. When the feathery trail of the falls came into full view, Alex let out a sigh that released every bit of leftover stress that was inside her. She drank it in, dumped her clothes in a pile on the bank, and dove over the edge.

Bucky was right behind her. He took off at a sprint; shirt discarded behind him in his wake, and took a running leap off the rocky ledge. He tucked his knees to his chest and gave a bellowing yell as he plunged into the water with a massive splash.

What he'd done the night before on the beach to help change the tone of the trip _definitely _worked.

Their minds were clear and their bodies felt rejuvenated. They spent most of the day at the waterfall either swimming, climbing the rocky ledge around it, or exploring nearby locations. Whatever they did, they took as many pictures and videos that they could. Bucky snapped so many pics of Alexis that day, he could almost hear Sam or Steve's voice ringing in his ear making fun of him for it. Best of all, he didn't care. He couldn't wait to show them...at least, he couldn't wait to show _Steve_. He wasn't entirely sure Sam would appreciate it as much as he knew Stevie would.

At one point in the day, as the two of them lay together on the same rock they laid on several days prior, Bucky lifted his phone up and told Alex to lean in closer. They put their heads together, removed their sunglasses, and smiled. Bucky snapped the picture, and it became one of his very favorites. Before he put his phone away, Alex told him to take one more photo. She pulled his face to hers and locked her lips onto his. Bucky closed his eyes and hoped whatever photo he just took of them kissing was at least centered and not blurry.

When they looked at the pic, it actually turned out perfect.

"I'm never leaving my apartment without this pic on my phone" Alex told him. "Seriously, you're such a hunk. How did I get so lucky?!"

Bucky put his phone away, feeling both humbled and honored.

They left the waterfall area later that afternoon, but only after all the sun and all the swimming and climbing had taken the very last bit of their energy. Bucky wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulders as they exited down their path, feeling satisfied with the day's events.

After returning the Jeep one final time, they made the long walk back to the bungalow. Their bodies had begun to feel that characteristic heaviness after a lengthy day in the sun, their footsteps lazy and unhurried as they wandered down the boardwalk.

A strong urge to take a nap hit both of them the minute they reached the bungalow, but because their flight the next morning was an early one, they kept themselves busy in order to avoid napping. They decided to begin the depressing task of packing, starting with sorting through their pile of dirty laundry. Both of them were silent during this process, each thinking about the week as they sifted through the clothes they'd worn and the moments they wore them.

Alex studied the silk sleep cami that she'd worn to Boroshka's, wondering if she even wanted to keep it. It was stained with sweat to a degree that even dry-cleaning wouldn't save it, but more so she wanted to get rid of it because it would probably always remind her of that day...and that man.

She looked across the bedroom at Bucky, the cami balled up in her hand. "Should I just get rid of it?"

Bucky nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting sympathetically. "I'll buy you something just as soft and pretty when we get back."

"Deal." Alex tossed the cami into the nearby trashcan, happy to let go of another piece of her past she didn't need.

Once they were sufficiently packed, the couple changed into their comfy clothes for the night and left a few items out for their return trip the next day. Feeling weary, Bucky slumped down onto the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. It was the first time that day that he looked glum, so Alex couldn't help but go over to him.

She stood in front of his hunched body, fingers sinking into his hair. "Tired?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Would food help?"

Bucky wrapped his hands around the back of her knees and pulled her closer, resting his face against her thighs. "Maybe."

"Let's go make something." She patted him on the head. "We have a few things left from the week we can throw together. I think there's even some wine left."

"But your thighs are so comfortable."

Alex smiled. "But my tummy is hungry."

Bucky moved his head away just enough to face her stomach. He pushed the fabric of her cami upward and placed a kiss just below her belly button. Alex closed her eyes just for a moment as she enjoyed the tender gesture. When she glanced down again, ocean eyes were staring up at her.

"Hungry tummy trumps comfortable thighs" Bucky uttered, giving her stomach one more kiss. "But only this once."

She laughed. "Come on, soldier. You'll think differently once you get some food in your own tummy."

It turned out that making dinner together was a fantastic idea. In the end, they were able to make two grilled pieces of fish with a fruit salsa to put on top, along with a vegetable salad of sorts to go on the side. It would be their final taste of the island and what it had to offer, and it turned out to be pretty fun to make. It took both Bucky and Alex's limited recipe know-how to construct it, which in and of itself was enough to make the both of them laugh.

When everything was finished and assembled, they took their plates and their wine out to the deck. They perched on the ledge, bare feet dangling in the ocean water, and ate their dinner with a view they would both miss dearly. They'd gotten pretty accustomed to going to sleep and waking up every day to this view. It would definitely be weird to return to New York in the middle of winter with no ocean breeze, no sound of crashing waves, and no stellar view like their current one.

Bucky did the honors of taking the dirty dishes back inside, leaving Alex on the deck to enjoy her glass of wine and the setting sun. She took a long drink and let the rich flavor coat her tongue before swallowing, doing her best to drink slowly. At the rate she was going, if she drank more than one glass, she'd be toast. She was so worn out from the sun and the activities of the day that the alcohol was already starting to make her feel a bit loose. She was also trying to savor every last moment of the evening. Her inhales were a little deeper, her eyes a little wider, and her heart a little fuller. It was moments like these that would follow her back to New York and remind her that there was beauty in the world.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Bucky came back outside, carrying the rest of the wine with him. He offered her some as he retook his spot beside her, but Alex waved it off with a guilty smile. "I've only finished half of this glass and I'm already feeling it."

Bucky smirked. "Lightweight."

"Whatever."

He poured the last of the bottle into his glass and flashed her a smirk. "Care if I finish it?"

"Please do." Alex took another swig and began kicking her feet back and forth in the water. She watched as Bucky downed half the glass in one gulp. "Damn."

He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. "Last night of vacation, right?"

Alex raised her glass. "Last night of vacation indeed."

They clinked rims and drank in honor of it.

"So..." Alex swirled the red liquid around, staring into the mini whirlpool she created. "How shall we spend the last night of said vacation?"

Bucky lifted the glass to his mouth, his signature smirk spreading across his face. "I don't know. Have any ideas?" He didn't look at her as he took a drink, but he knew damn well she was staring at him with those hungry eyes of hers.

"I have a few ideas, yeah."

"So do I."

"Ohh hoh!" Alex giggled, and it came out a little louder than she expected thanks to the buzz from the wine. "Can I get a hint?"

"You'll see." His eyes met hers, confidence oozing from him. "Patience."

The dominant tone to his voice sent a current of heat through Alex's body. Without a single hesitation, she swallowed the rest of her wine and set the glass aside, happy to let it run its course while she practiced all the patience she could summon. But when Bucky's hand slid beneath her hair to grip the back of her neck and pull her close, her body quickly became greedy. Their mouths met with matched desire, their hunger for one another felt in the heat rising between them. Bucky's mouth feverishly devoured hers, teeth and noses bumping.

"Do you remember the first night we sat out here?" he murmured between kisses. "After my nightmare?"

"Hmm...I think so?" Alex was clearly teasing, and it earned her a laugh. "Of course I remember. I still felt you between my legs well into the next day..."

Bucky groaned into their kiss in response. There was something powerful knowing he could leave Alex with the lasting feel of him; that he was enough to fill her to the point that the pressure of him lingered long after his body left hers. It made him feel incredibly good, and it made his dick grow harder by the second.

He moved his mouth slowly down her neck, tonguing the sensitive spot near the hollow of her throat. It was one of the few places he knew he could kiss and get an immediate response, and this time was no exception. He smiled when he felt Alex's moan vibrate against his mouth. He knew she loved any time he paid attention around her neck, so he gently nibbled along the side, biting hard enough to hear her exhale another moan.

"Your mouth feels so good..." she breathed, her hands tightening in his hair.

Her words of encouragement fueled Bucky. He inched his lips downward and nosed the strap of her cami over her shoulder, pressing soft, lingering kisses along her collarbone. Goosebumps erupted over Alex's body, especially when he drug the rough edge of his beard along her neck. He slipped her other strap down the curve of her shoulder, letting the top fall in a puddle about her waist. Her nipples sat at attention and he tongued one hungrily, locking his mouth around the soft flesh of her breast. Alex arched her back in response, giving him more of her to savor. Her body was soft and warm beneath his touch, her skin taking on a golden hue from the late day sun. She was beautiful, and she was his, and he needed her.

Scooping Alex's body into his, Bucky positioned himself above her and then helped her shimmy out of both her cami and her shorts. When she was naked down to just her panties, he gently rolled her over onto her stomach.

It was a move that surprised Alex. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a look of intrigue. "What are you—"

Bucky shook his head, pressed a finger to his lips, and grinned. "Just enjoy."

"But James..."

"_But James _what!?" His smirk had that boyish look to it, but the heat in his eyes burned with matured desire. He hooked his thumbs beneath the sides of her panties and began to peel them backward, tugging at the fabric to get them over the rise of her ass.

When he pressed a leisurely kiss near her tailbone, Alex found it difficult to form sentences. "You've been too focused on me" she mumbled, feeling Bucky kiss his way further down one side of her ass. She felt the slightest nip of his teeth and held back a moan. "What if I want to treat you?"

Bucky kissed another spot on the soft mound of her ass but kept his eyes locked on hers. "My treat first." His hands gripped her hard, spreading her so he could get a better look at her center. Even though the fabric of her panties still covered most of her most precious area, he could see enough. The scent her of her arousal was intoxicating. Whatever he was doing must have been working; the evidence was glistening all over the fabric. He tugged them the rest of the way down to her knees and left them there.

With her pale pink folds now fully exposed, Bucky's dick ached to feel the warmth he knew waited beyond. He leaned into Alex more, hands spreading her ass, and kissed her glistening center. She inhaled sharply, her ass squirming a little. Bucky increased his grip to spread her further and decided to kiss her other hole; the tighter, smaller one he hadn't had the honor of experiencing yet. He ached to feel her in that way. He craved the tightness of it. It wasn't the right moment for it, but someday...sometime...he wanted to take Alex anally. He kissed her there, tonguing her entrance lightly, and was pleased to hear her release a guttural moan.

"Feel good, doll?" He tongued her ass again, then lowered a little and lapped at her pussy.

"_Fuck yes_" Alex moaned, trying her best not to squirm more. The velvety feel of Bucky's tongue between her legs left her a whimpering mess. Words became pitifully weak mewls. He drew his tongue along her slit achingly slow; a contrast to the trail of fire his coarse beard left on her inner thighs. Alex cursed again, followed by smaller gasps as she clung to the incredible feeling. The man was gifted, and being on her stomach seemed to amplify everything. Maybe because she couldn't touch him or see him. All she could do was _feel._

And then Alex felt Bucky push one of his goddamn metal fingers inside her, and she gave up trying to think altogether. An embarrassingly strong moan came from her and she had to close her eyes.

Behind her, Bucky was having fun. Pleasuring his girl and getting her to utter those little moans and whimpers she always made was one of his favorite things. With every moan, every shudder, every shift of Alex's hips, it gave him the encouragement that he craved. Normally he could read the expressions on her face, but her body was just as good at giving him cues.

And his view was _everything_.

With Alex on her stomach and his mouth buried between her legs, Bucky wasn't sure he'd ever witnessed anything so sexy. In the fading light of the evening, lying on their deck with water all around them, he proceeded to make Alex squirm right there out in the open.

He could tell she was trying to keep her moans quiet (as if anyone could actually hear them or see them), so he accepted the challenge of trying to change that. He added another one of his metal fingers, pushing deep enough until he saw Alex's hands try to grip the wood of the deck. He tongued her sensitive nub while he fucked her with his fingers, watching the way her beautiful body trembled against his hand and tongue. As she grew closer to release, he anchored her hips with his free arm to keep her in place and brought her to her first orgasm of the night. Alex ground her hips back into his face as his tongue delivered those final few strokes to seal her pleasure. Her cries of passion and release mixed with the waves and the lapping ocean around them was the only song Bucky ever wanted to listen to. He even caught himself smiling, and he didn't stop until her cried dwindled to softer moans and eventually heavy breathing.

When Alex's body became still again, Bucky tried to sit back on his knees but his dick was so hard that this simple movement proved to be difficult. It was hard to ignore the giant tent in his shorts, but he looked past it to admire Alex's body before him, looking both spent and satisfied. He smiled and wiped his mouth of her arousal, her taste acting like a drug to his body and brain.

It took Alex a solid two minutes before her brain began functioning again. She groaned as she tried to gather her wits, then pushed herself up a little to get a look back at Bucky. Despite it being darker now that the sun had fully dipped below the horizon, she could still see the proud expression he wore. His mouth was a glistening mess, but it didn't stop his killer smile.

She tried to roll over to at least face him, but collapsed back onto her stomach tiredly. "I don't think I can move" she teased.

Bucky reached down and tugged the elastic waistband of his shorts over his dick, letting it spring free. "Then stay right there."

Soon after, his imposing weight was pressing down on her back. Alex felt the heat of Bucky's length crowding between her legs as he settled on top of her, and then his breath was on her ear.

"You don't mind getting fucked out in the open, do you?"

Alex turned her head enough to nip at his chin playfully. "Nothing to hide, right?"

His low rumble of a laugh vibrated against her ear. "You know it, darling." He forced her legs apart with his knees, spreading her to accommodate him more. Clasping her jaw in his hand, he enveloped Alex's mouth with his, his tongue diving inside at the same time he entered her body.

Their mouths stayed locked together in a passionate embrace as he drove himself deeper inside her with each thrust. Bucky buried himself to the hilt every time; each thrust marked by heavy grunts as he lost himself to the feeling of Alex's body. If anyone had seen them, they would have only caught a glimpse of the muscles of his back, rippling and flexing as he drilled into her, the growing moonlight glinting off the metal of his arm as he braced himself on top of her. The ocean was loud enough to muffle Bucky's feral moans, but Alex's pleasure reached a point that even the slosh of the ocean wasn't able to mask.

In no time, Alex rode the eruption of her second release of the night while Bucky emptied the last of himself inside her. He collapsed on top of her as they both tried to catch their breath, and for a few moments neither spoke. The only movement Bucky could make was with his mouth, suckling gently against the back of Alex's neck as his lust-drunk brain cleared and returned to normal. When he could finally move again, he rolled onto his back next to Alex and immediately drew her into the safety of his arms. They cuddled together, enjoying the afterglow of their release while the ocean breeze cooled their sweat-glistened skin. When their energy returned, they went for a swim in the waters lapping around the bungalow. It was their final feel of the ocean, and what a wonderful feeling it was.

There were no nightmares to be had that night for either Bucky or Alex, and that was the best feeling of all.

* * *

Bucky awoke the next morning to find the spot next to him on the bed empty. A flicker of worry rippled through him, but he quelled it almost instantly. Though he'd grown to appreciate the reassurance of Alex's body next to his, it was still important to get better at learning not to panic whenever she wasn't. He'd gone from waking up alone his entire existence to waking up next to Alexis almost every night. The change had been hard. He was uncomfortable at first sharing a bed, but like all things with Alex, she made the uncomfortable parts of his life change into something amazing.

Once he realized the comfort of waking up next to someone, it became something even more difficult to let go of. Although his first reaction was always panic, either to find her or to make sure she was safe, he'd been working on overcoming this. He'd have to tell her about the tiny victory later, if he remembered.

Extending his arms over his head, Bucky stretched and yawned, feeling a knot of tight muscle surface near the back of his metal shoulder. Aside from that, he felt well rested. Considering everything that happened over the course of the past week, both amazing and terrifying, he counted himself one very lucky man. It wasn't something he was used to thinking when it came to himself, but he was getting better at that as well.

Once he realized Alex might not be returning to the bed, Bucky slid out from under the covers and scrounged around the floor to find his shorts. He slipped those on, ran a hand through his messy hair, then headed out into the kitchen. When he saw Alex wasn't there either, he frowned. Again, that flicker of nervousness tried to wind its way through his mind, but he silenced it. He went to the window and lifted one of the sheer curtains with his finger. Standing at the edge of the deck was Alexis; motionless, arms folded comfortably in front of her, and her eyes focused on the rising sun.

Bucky's frown slowly turned into a smile.

He decided to join her; hoping his presence wouldn't ruin whatever moment she was having. As usual, her bright smile greeted him first, and then her arm wound about his waist in a way that let him know she wanted him there.

"Morning, Sergeant."

Bucky kissed her temple. "Morning, darling."

She rested her head against him, eyes staring out at the growing light on the horizon. "I'm going to miss this." There was a wistful tone to her voice; one that Bucky understood well.

"Me too" he said, eyes meeting hers.

They stood there for another ten minutes watching the sun as it rose over the ocean. Pale gray and blue shades turned to pink and yellow, and then gave way to the bright warmth that would mark another day on their little piece of paradise. It may have been Tony Stark's island, but for that week, it had been all theirs.

* * *

The couple had one final thing left to do before they left for New York, and that was to say goodbye to Heilani. They wanted to thank her for her help that week, and to secretly check in on her to see how she was holding up. They found her behind the desk on the main property as they always had; dressed in a brightly colored dress with her graying hair pinned atop her head. Her smile was a bit more subdued than they knew it could be, but given what happened in the past day or so, they didn't question it.

Heilani stood to greet them as they came through the door, her expression a mix of regret and happiness. "Is today the day?"

"It is" Alexis replied heavily. "Our luggage is being taken to the jet as we speak."

"We wanted to make sure we said goodbye before we took off, and to thank you for everything this week" Bucky told her, his eyes round with emotion. "And to also see how you're doing….after everything."

Heilani was clearly surprised and humbled by this gesture. Her expression faded, only to be replaced by a look of quiet gratitude. "You are kind to ask, Mr. Barnes. I think we're all just kind of in shock, but we'll be fine. You two have been a bright spot this past week. I hope all of Mr. Stark's team members are as lovely as you both have been."

Alex and Bucky looked at one another and smiled.

"And please give our regards to Mr. Stark" Heilani added. "Regarding yesterday's news, yes - but in general as well. Tell him to take more vacation days and not to be such a stranger." She gave them both a quick wink, and the smile Bucky and Alex were used to seeing returned.

They thanked one another, and Heilani gave Bucky one more giant hug. She bid them a gracious farewell in her native language, calling to them in her singsong voice as they exited the main property.

Given the close proximity of the private runway and the jet they'd be taking back to New York, they only had a short walk from the property. It took maybe a half-hour to arrive, though neither Bucky nor Alex was in much of a hurry. Tony's jet had gotten them from New York to the island in less than 8 hours, so the return trip would be even quicker. In no time, the week would be just a memory.

Once the couple boarded the jet and got settled in, Bucky brought out his phone. He flipped through the pictures he'd taken over the course of the week, smiling to himself as his mind replayed the better moments.

Alex leaned in closer. "Whatchya looking at?"

Bucky turned the phone towards her, his smiling eyes connecting with hers. "I think this one is my favorite."

It was a picture that Alex hadn't seen yet. In fact, she had no idea he'd even taken the photo. It was from the first day when they were taking a stroll down the beach near sunset. She was in her bikini with a sarong tied around her waist, her hair billowing in the breeze as she faced the ocean. Her focus was on the horizon, her eyes and body turned away from Bucky. The colors, the artsy feel of the picture, all of it made for a beautiful image.

"I didn't even know you snapped this" Alex told him. "Was this from the first day?"

Bucky nodded, a tiny smile playing over his mouth. "Can you show me how to make this my background image?"

Alex held back her giggle. "Of course." She took the phone and sat towards him. "Watch and learn, baby."

The jet took off as Alex showed Bucky how to make a picture into the wallpaper for his cell phone. Neither of them looked out the window as the island faded away. Neither wanted to. Everything they wanted was right there in front of him.

* * *

**Author's Note: We are now about to enter "phase 2" of this story, which will be more focused back home at Avenger's Headquarters in the aftermath of meeting Boroshka and the knowledge gained on the island. We'll see other Avengers in the story, and perhaps another location change or two in the upcoming chapters. ;) I think you're going to like where this is all going (at least I hope so, anyway!) Thanks again for all the comments, favs, etc. It means more to me than you know! **


	9. Chapter 8

When the jet touched down at Avengers Headquarters, it was snowing. Not necessarily _hard, _but there were just enough snowflakes dancing in the air to make it difficult for Bucky and Alex to take that first step off the jet. Even inside the hangar where their jet rolled to a stop, they descended the airstairs and felt the cold breeze blowing in from beyond the hangar doors. Their sun kissed skin never felt chillier than it did then.

Steve was waiting there to greet them. He stood off to the side, hands in the pockets of his khaki pants and his friendly smile stretching from ear to ear, watching as the couple descended the airstairs. Bucky was the first to notice him. He gave Steve a wave, followed quickly by Alex who was all smiles as their fellow Avenger walked towards them.

"How was it?" Steve called over the sound of the dying jet engines. "Or do I even need to ask?"

Bucky broke into a laugh. "Pretty sure you know the answer already, punk."

He dropped his duffle bag and the pair embraced in a hug. They exchanged a few words while Alex stood watching with admiration. She used the time to quickly put on her leather gloves so she could also embrace Steve, which was exactly what happened when he and Bucky were finished.

"You look great, Markos" Steve said as they hugged.

"Aw, thank you, Steve." His arms practically swallowed her whole within his giant hug, but his presence was warm and friendly and made coming home a little easier to bear. "How are things here? What'd we miss?" she asked once they broke apart.

Steve facially shrugged. "Not much really. Just a bunch of speculating what you guys have been up to half a world away." He gave them a wink, knowing all too well what they had likely been up to.

Bucky draped an arm casually around Alex's shoulders. He looked at her, feigning confusion. "I don't know, doll. What'd we do all week? Anything worth mentioning?"

"I think we swam once or twice?"

"Right, yeah...swimming..._lots _of swimming..."

Steve shook his head. "So that's what you're calling it now?"

"Better than, uh...what'd you call it? Fonduing?" Bucky chirped back.

This got Steve to break. His cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink, even as Bucky clapped a hand on his back. Alex pressed her lips together and said absolutely nothing. This was all their inside joke and she was staying well out of it, despite a laugh trying its damnedest to make itself known. She'd have to ask Bucky later what "fonduing" meant because she had no clue, though she could read between the lines.

They continued their relaxed conversation as they grabbed the rest of their luggage and headed down the various hallways back to the main building. Steve got a quick rundown of some of the high points of their trip on the way, and was genuinely happy to hear that his best friend and his girlfriend had such a nice time. For Steve, seeing Bucky this happy and carefree was relatively new to him. Watching him and Alex recount their trip filled him with true joy; some of which he hadn't been prepared for. The way Bucky looked at Alex, the subtle glances they gave one another or the way their eyes seemed to shine a little brighter as they spoke, was incredibly nice to see.

One thing lingered in Steve's mind, however, was his and Tony's conversation from a few days back. Nothing between Bucky or Alex seemed amiss. If the death Tony referred to had happened, it certainly didn't appear that either one of them knew or had anything to do with it. Which of course didn't mean they _didn't_, but Steve was less inclined to ask about it than he had been before seeing them.

He still had to ask Bucky on Tony's behalf. When the three of them made it back to the apartment wing of Headquarters, Steve did his very best not to sound awkward as he mentioned Tony. "So, I know this may seem a little out of left field...but Tony wanted to see you as soon as you got back."

Alex and Bucky shared a look. A moment of silence passed between them before Bucky gave a nod. "Sure, that's fine."

"Annnnnd he wants to meet with just you, Buck." Steve's blue eyes centered on Alex as the corner of his mouth lifted. "Guess you're safe this time."

"Yeah, _this _time" Alex joked.

"Probably just wants the keys back, anyway." Bucky gave Alex a reassuring smile. "Settle back in as best you can in the meantime. I'll come find you after, okay?"

Steve looked away bashfully as the couple leaned into one another and kissed. Alex gave both of them a salute, then headed down the hall to her respective apartment. Bucky watched her go, feeling his heart tug a little as she disappeared around the corner. After spending an entire week living together and doing an impromptu mission together, it was difficult to watch her leave his side.

Picking up on this, Steve gave him a sympathetic smile. "Tough after all that time together, huh?"

Bucky mouth quirked bashfully. "Yeah."

"I'm happy for ya, pal." Steve patted his shoulders. "Really happy."

Even though he knew it already, hearing Steve say it made Bucky feel on top of the world. He could see in his friend's eyes just how happy he really was for him. He needed to find a way to tell Steve just how much it really meant to him. He wasn't great with expressing things yet, not even to Steve, but hopefully his friend had an idea. Steve was good like that. He always had been.

"I better let you go so you can get back into things." Steve shoved his hands back in his pockets and began to walk backwards down the hall. "And good luck with Stark."

Bucky nodded. "Catch up with you later?"

"I'll hold you to it" Steve answered, and then he was gone.

It was the first time in a week that Bucky was alone. Despite how normal being alone was, it felt odd at that moment. It was a testament to how his life was turning around after his recovery in Wakanda, which he should be proud of. Still, it was only slightly unsettling when he entered into his quiet apartment and flicked on the lights. He took a look around, feeling that familiar emptiness he was so used to, and feeling how equally strange it was.

He dropped off his luggage and changed into something more relaxed, then took the walk down to Stark's condo. A few things were running through his mind at that moment: either Stark really did want the keys and to know how everything went, or he knew about Boroshka. He was prepared to tell him the truth whether he brought it up or not. He didn't regret what happened, nor would he ever regret it. But when it came to Tony Stark, his reactions were always unpredictable.

Bucky knocked on the door and waited. He ran one hand through his hair while jingling the keys to the bungalow in his other. Just a few hours ago he'd used those keys to lock up the place that had been home for a while. Funny how just a few hours can bring someone from one side of the world to the other, and how a few days can change everything - for good or for worse.

"Barnes."

Bucky had been pacing and didn't even know it. He turned and faced Tony in the doorway. "You wanted to see me?"

"Oh I want to do more than see you" Tony alluded, opening the door wider for him. "Firstly - how was everything?"

"Everything was great. Really. Thanks again for letting us vacation there." He hadn't even gotten two strides inside the condo when Tony shut the door and folded his arms over his chest, facing him with that unrelenting steadiness.

"Great. Keys?"

Bucky handed them over, watching Tony quickly pocket them.

"So who killed my groundskeeper?"

Bucky didn't bother to sugarcoat it. "I did."

Tony nodded, not at all surprised. In fact, his face morphed into a twisted grin, his dark eyes flitting around the room. "You know, I should have bet Rogers on that one. At least a 5-spot, ya know? But he swore up and down you wouldn't have anything to do with it."

There was nothing Bucky could do but stand there. There wasn't anything he wanted to do. What was done was done. "What do you want me to say, Stark?"

Tony wheeled around and pointed a finger. "I want to know why people involved with me or my name _end up dead _when they encounter _you_."

Darkness settled over Bucky. He felt his throat tighten as memories of a lonesome road, a crashed car, and two innocent people flashed before his eyes. "Aren't you at least going to ask me _why _I killed him?"

"I thought I just gave the reason?" Tony took a step closer. "When it comes to Starks, you really don't need one, do you?"

His tone was flat and angry. His eyes were cold. Bucky understood that Tony was referring to his parents, and the thought alone made his stomach turn. That wasn't him anymore. That was another time and another place. Another person. Tony would always harbor resentment for what happened to his parents, but Bucky would always carry the weight of remorse over it. He felt through these emotions and never once broke his stare, not even when Tony got one more step closer.

"You just can't help yourself, can you, Barnes?"

Bucky felt his anger flare. "When it comes to Hydra agents? _No. _And that's exactly who your groundskeeper was." He watched as the tiniest seed of doubt appeared in Tony's eyes. "Did you know that, Stark? Did you know you were harboring an ex-Hydra agent on your island? One who worked in _Siberia_?"

This was the information Tony clearly wasn't prepared for. He blinked, though his expression never wavered. "What proof-"

"-Alexis got the proof." Bucky inclined his head. "Or do you doubt her, too?"

Tony took a step back. They both knew the way Alex could gain information. They both had experience with letting her enter their minds and were well aware of the way her powers worked. Tony didn't need to answer Bucky; they both knew what Alexis could do.

As a result, Tony's defensive posture relaxed. He turned and began to pace, one hand rubbing his goatee as he mulled things over. "What else did she learn?"

"She learned he was hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. back when you acquired the island and its employees."

Tony whipped back around. "_S.H.I.E.L.D?_"

"Looks like we have a mole."

"Which branch did he come from?"

"Poland."

Now that Stark was no longer aiming at him directly, Bucky could see the shift taking place on the outside. Tony's entire demeanor changed to one of curiosity, like a scientist looking at a new subject and studying it for the first time. Bucky gave him the time he needed to sort through it, but was prepared to tell him everything he needed to know if he wanted it.

"You know they're ruling it a suicide?" Tony inquired.

Bucky nodded. "We made it look that way."

"So Markos was there?"

"She was."

Tony eyed him sharply. "You working as a pair now? Is this what assassins do on vacation?"

"We had no idea—"

"How the hell did you even kill him if you didn't have any weapons?" Tony tipped his chin at Bucky's arm. "Then again, I guess you carry yours around with you everywhere you go."

Bucky stared; waiting for the moment he knew was coming. It took only a few seconds before Stark put all the pieces together inside his mind and his eyebrows lifted in response.

"You found my stash, didn't you?"

"Alexis did." Bucky's mouth formed a tight line edged with sarcasm. "She figured out how you had it hidden, so we decided it was fair game to use."

"Huh. How 'bout that."

Stark seemed mildly impressed, and Bucky felt he should. That had been all Alex. Though they hadn't needed to use the guns, it gave them the security they needed walking in to a situation where they had no real intel besides the little they discovered. Bucky was eternally impressed by Alex and everything she did, but...he supposed he was biased.

"Well, since Markos is the brains behind all this and gathered all the intel" Stark replied, turning to face Bucky once more. "She can be the one to tell Fury and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bucky thought he misheard. "Sorry?"

"Alexis Markos." Stark rocked on his heels. "Your girlfriend? The mind reader? I'll send her down to DC and have her speak with the Feds about this."

"Shouldn't you be the one handling this, since it's _your _employee?"

"_Was_" Stark pointed out. "_Was _my employee." He smiled. "You two took care of that part, so now it's up to you and Markos to see what all of it means."

He walked forward and patted Bucky on the chest, though it wasn't without a little bit of arrogance. "Come on, Barnes. Not even an argument? How about a request to go with her? You two are practically joined at the hip anymore."

Bucky's stare hardened. "She's capable of handling herself."

"Is she?" Tony's eyebrow lifted. "She's never been there before. Not as an Avenger, anyway. Sure you don't want to escort her?"

It took most of Bucky's energy not to respond the way he wanted. He was willing to let Stark's attitude slide because of their past, letting a lot of the snide comments and jabs go even though a part of him wanted to end it right there on the spot. But when it came to Alex, his patience ran very thin. "Is there anything else you wanted to know about last week? If not, I'll see myself out."

"You two didn't ruin our 1000 thread count bed sheets of ours, did you?" Tony grimaced. "Because that's just gross, if you did."

Bucky pushed past him and went for the door. Behind, Tony watched with growing pride. "Thanks again, Barnes. Always a great chat whenever we get together like this."

Bucky flung open the door and exited without another word to Tony about the island, the murder, or the 1000 thread count sheets he and Alex most definitely ruined.

* * *

Alex sat in her apartment with her suitcase opened and still not unpacked after several hours. She stared at it across the living room, with its yawning top and mess of clothes piled inside. It was like it exploded and the haphazard pile was taunting her. The last thing she wanted to do was unpack. But...given the news she received a half hour ago about a trip to Washington DC, she'd not only need to _unpack_, but would then need to repack for a totally different excursion.

And so she sat on her couch, dressed in her comfiest sweatpants and hoodie and holding a mug of hot chocolate, staring with irritation at the suitcase that awaited her attention across the room.

Next to her, Bucky patted her thigh lovingly. "What if I unpacked everything so all you have to do is repack?"

Alex smiled as she took a drink of her hot chocolate. "You're sweet to offer, babe. I think I really just need some time to decompress a little. Even just a half hour. It feels like I haven't had a chance to process being back and get out of vacation-mode before getting hit with a new trip."

"Well that's exactly why I'm here." Bucky settled deeper into the couch cushions, taking Alex with him as she snuggled against him. "Just put it all out of your mind for tonight. Tonight will be like all the other nights: just us. No distractions."

They looked at one another, and though the love present in Bucky's large eyes was evident, neither could escape the fact that the snow outside was becoming heavier as the evening drug on. It's why they were both sharing mugs of hot chocolate; to try and get back to normal and adjust to the cold and snow. It was anything but similar to where they just traveled from, aside from them being together.

"If nothing else" Bucky added, "Steve and I will be in DC a few days after you get there. That should help some, right?"

"You know it will" Alex said, appreciative of the way he was trying to find the silver lining. It was true: when Tony informed her she'd need to head down to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters and speak to them of everything she learned from Boroshka, her initial reaction was nothing but negative. Gradually, she began to see the positives. She'd never been there, so her initiation to S.H.I.E.L.D's office was long overdue. She owed Fury that much, if only to show respect for bringing her onto the team in the first place.

In addition to this, Alex was formulating a plan all her own; taking from an idea that had popped into her mind after learning she would be traveling down there. Something she would, for now, keep a secret from Bucky until he and Steve met up with her a few days later.

"I don't think I ever asked how you two finagled getting in on this?" Alex questioned. "Seems like Stark was only interested in me going down there?"

"He was set on having you talk to _S.H.I.E.L.D_," Bucky answered. "But he said nothing about the two of us joining the trip just for fun."

Alex watched as he lifted one eyebrow with sass. It brought a smile to her face, and subsequently, one to his as well. "Fun, huh?" she said with a smirk.

"When is it ever NOT fun with Steve and I?" He lifted his arms as he asked the question, which only made Alex laugh more. She pushed the arm closest to her back down and around her waist, feeling secure as Bucky cuddled her close. Because he was also dressed in a hoodie and sweats, the outline of his hard body was softened by the plush material. It made him feel more like a snuggly pillow than the sculpted warrior he was.

Alex palmed her warm mug and sighed. "Here's to whatever awaits us in DC, then."

Bucky kissed the top of her head. "Sure, it may be a little bit colder and a little less cheerful. But as long as we have each other, I don't see how it could be all that bad." He lifted her chin with a knuckle and smiled, his lips pressing against her own.

Alex felt the reassurance in his embrace, her powers tingling all over her body in response to his touch. His kiss was unhurried, consoling, and distinctly Bucky. She slid a hand up his chest to the collar of his hood and tugged on the strings, pulling him into her as their kiss deepened.

A question formed in Alex's mind at the moment and caused her to break the kiss. "That reminds me..."

Bucky searched her expression beneath heavy eyelids. "Hmm?" He kissed the corner of her lips, not totally ready to leave her mouth yet.

"Who's staying with who when we're all there?"

"Me and you, obviously." He kissed her jaw. "Steve in his own room."

Alex closed her eyes when she felt Bucky's lips caress just below her ear. "Poor dude is gonna feel left out."

Bucky's gaze lifted, his mouth forming a healthy grin. "If we do what we've done the past week, I think feeling 'left out' will be the last thing Steve worries about. He'll probably be very happy to be far away from some of the dirty stuff we do."

Alex chuckled at the thought. How far her gorgeous soldier had come in just a few months time. Going from a 40s boy with a penchant for politeness to a man who craved darker, rougher delights was certainly one of her favorite personal victories. He was naturally dominant, and it was never more obvious than when they were intimate. And yet, romance came so easily to him. There was always a time and place for the slow and steady kind of love Bucky was so, _so _good at. Alex counted herself extremely lucky to be able to enjoy both.

All things considered, when it came to imagining any of it with Steve Rogers, Alex had a tough time. Maybe he had a darker side to him like Bucky did, and maybe it would come out with the right partner, but for now she couldn't see it. Its why she felt bad leaving him as a potential third wheel on this trip to DC, but Steve could hold his own. That much was certain.

Plus, there were plenty of positives to focus on. New trip. New location. Meeting new coworkers (she supposed that's what she should call them, anyways?), and getting to hang out with two men who had over a century of history together. Granted, not all of it was good history, but she couldn't wait to see both of them in a more relaxed setting. In fact, just seeing Steve relax _at all _would be a sight to behold.

Bucky kissed the tip of her nose. "So...feeling better about things?"

Alex smiled. "I'm warming to the idea, yes."

"Good." His eyes shifted towards her suitcase. "How about my earlier offer?"

With a sigh, Alex stared at the mess waiting for her across the room. "Not so warm on that, but...a few more kisses might help."

Bucky leaned into the challenge with pride. "Then by all means, let me help warm you a little more."

Alex kept her eyes on her suitcase even as Bucky nuzzled her neck with delicate kisses. Maybe being home wasn't so bad. She remembered what he told her only a few nights ago: _we have our whole lives to explore together_. Thinking of that phrase brought the butterflies back all over again. Maybe he meant more by it, maybe he didn't...but it was nice to hear he thought of her in his future.

With those words lingering on her mind, Alex closed her eyes and gave in to the security she found in Bucky's embrace; forgetting the tasks of tomorrow for the comfort of the present. She reveled in the possessiveness of his touch, the way his large hands cradled her head as his lips found hers again. She opened her mouth to him; feeling the soft sweep of his tongue and the desire behind it fill her body with warmth.

Bucky was a coil of energy at all times; forever waffling between his gentle side and his hard side. Alex was in love with both, and would do anything to protect that love no matter where it took her. If dealing with Boroshka, Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D, or _whatever _was the next chapter, then so be it. Not all adventures would be carefree and amazing. Not all would mimic a dream vacation. But as long as they had each other, they would never be without the other by their side for whatever life threw at them.

Alex knew this much, and she trusted it. It hadn't let her down before, and it wouldn't this time.

* * *

A form-fitted black power suit. Four inch patent leather heels. Hair pulled back into a sleek long ponytail.

This was the image Bucky was left with in the hangar with as he watched Alex walk towards the Quinjet.

He couldn't help himself. He lowered his gaze to her backside, eyeing the sway of her hips and the movement of trim muscle that made up her body. Her pants fit her like a glove, hugging her ass tightly and giving very little away to imagination. He licked his lips; his mind aware of how good it felt to have his face buried between those two perfectly curved mounds.

He kept his eyes on her until she ascended the hatch, heels clicking in a powerful cadence as she walked. She turned and gave a final wave, drawing his gaze away from her curves to her beautiful face. Bucky gave a wave in return, and then watched as she disappeared beyond the hatch. He stayed until she took off, remaining inside the hangar until he could no longer stand the chill of the wind stinging his face.

Doing his best to shake off the cold, Bucky headed over to Steve's where he promised to meet once Alexis had departed. Apparently, Steve was also trying to ward off the chill in the air. His apartment was delightfully warm as soon as he entered, so much so that he removed the hoodie he was wearing once he was inside.

Steve came down the hall to find Bucky settling onto his leather couch. "She make it out okay?"

"Yep. Knowing the speed of the Quinjet, she should be there in..." Bucky checked his watch. "...20 minutes?"

A smirk crossed Steve's face. He leaned against the kitchen counter, one elbow propping up the rest of him. "So now that it's just us..."

Bucky caught the slight uptick in his friend's voice. "You want all the details, don't you?"

"The privilege of being best friends, isn't it?" At the same time, Steve lifted a hand. "But only as much as you're willing to tell."

Bucky shifted his eyes towards the refrigerator. "Shouldn't we be doing this over beers or something?"

"At noon?"

He made a face and Steve succumbed to it. He watched him shuffle over to the fridge, pull out two bottles of beer and snap the caps off with his hands, and then come back into the living room. He offered a bottle to Bucky before taking a seat on a separate chair.

They clinked the glass necks and drank.

Exhaling, Bucky settled deeper into the cushions of the couch. He stretched his legs out in front of him and pushed off his sneakers. "So..." He lifted the bottle to his mouth. "Where would you like me to begin?" He took a drink while Steve crossed one ankle over his knee and adjusted his weight into the back of the chair. He was clearly too big for it, as he was most chairs, which made Bucky wonder where he'd gotten it. Another hand-me-down, no doubt. Steve never bought anything for himself, and he highly doubted this chair was any different.

"Was it as romantic as you hoped?" Steve asked, settling in further.

"Beyond all expectations."

"What was your favorite moment — if you had to choose just one?"

Bucky looked down at the bottle resting in his lap. He picked at the label as he thought back through the all the new memories he had from the past week. "Probably just hanging with her," he answered. "Being alone together. There were so many times we were either lying on the beach, or sitting by a waterfall, or relaxing on our deck...and all we were doing was just being together. We weren't really doing anything at all."

Steve gave an appreciative nod. "Sounds like the definition of romantic to me."

"I really think there's a deeper connection between us." When Bucky said this, he was half expecting Steve to laugh or joke with him about it, but Steve's admiration seemed to grow even more.

"That's really great, Buck."

He lowered his gaze again and smiled. He could feel how stupidly-big it was, too, but Steve was his safe place. If he could smile stupidly anywhere in the world without worry, it was in front of Steve. "It's not like I have a lot to go off of" he added, "you know...with my history and all. But I know what I feel." He raised his eyes again. "I really do love her."

Steve lifted an eyebrow playfully. "I honestly couldn't tell." He shared a chuckle with Bucky, whose eyes brightened at the joke.

"We even did our first transfer together before we took care of Boroshka."

Shock registered on Steve's face. "You _did? _How'd it go?"

"It was flawless, and...strangely familiar." Bucky searched for his words. "I never told Alex this at the time, mostly because I wasn't entirely sure what I was feeling. But the more I think about it, the more it has to be true: I think we connected more than just physical traits."

Steve leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"I think we shared a part of our minds. Almost as if I could reach out to her through our connection somehow." Bucky waited, wondering if the laugh he didn't get earlier would come now. Yet again, Steve's reaction was anything but judgmental.

"It's entirely possible. You're both so close as it is, her powers probably just add to that closeness."

Bucky's memory flashed back to Boroshka taunting Alex, trying to get her to believe the lies about the breeding program. He felt heaviness in his stomach thinking of it. Yet through it all, he remembered feeling more connected to Alex in that moment than ever before. Even after she released his physical traits from her powers, he could still feel a link between them. He felt it again that night on the beach. He rolled with it and enjoyed the tremendous closeness he had with her, but chalked it up to just a hunch that went nowhere.

Steve cocked his head a little. "I'm curious why you didn't tell Alex about this?"

Bucky shook his head; his eyes lowering to his lap once more. "I should have. At the time, it didn't seem right. There was so much going on and then we got wrapped up in other stuff after..." He made a motion with his hand. "...after everything was taken care of, so...I just left it alone."

"It doesn't really change anything, does it?"

"Not one bit."

"Then you should tell her." With this, Steve leaned back in his chair and grinned. "Maybe it has nothing to do with super powers, Buck. Maybe its just love."

This lifted Bucky's entire expression, and a sense of irony arose within him. Steve had a point. It wasn't like he had very many figures in his life up to this point in time that showed him what true love was. The kind of love he and Alexis shared. Maybe he was just coming to learn what love felt like after decades of hurt and torture.

A soft chuckle arose from Bucky's chest. "You know, I always think back to that first day in the Practice Room. Compared to where we are now, it just doesn't seem real. Crazy how things worked out, huh?"

Steve's eyes crinkled happily. "What's meant to be will always find a way."

When their gazes met, Bucky thought he detected a hint of pain behind the blue of Steve's eyes. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't be talking about these kinds of deeper topics with him, especially when it came to relationships. He was aware of the past Steve wanted but could never have. They discussed it before, and each time Steve ensured him that he was fine. Peggy was in the past, and he was ready to move forward...if the chance should ever surface.

Feeling bad, Bucky tried to think of something to alleviate the heaviness in the room. "Plus, I mean..._the sex _is just..." He exhaled a long breath and shook his head in amazement. Across from him, Steve began to laugh. It was the reaction he was hoping for.

"I'm surprised you two managed to do anything else _besides _that."

Bucky regarded him with playful outrage. "What do you take me for?"

"I just meant-"

"-You think that's all I'm interested in?"

They stared at one another before blurting out laughing.

"You suck" Bucky mumbled as he took another swig.

Steve rolled his eyes.

Bucky pointed with one of the fingers wrapped around his bottle. "You remember when I told you about the restraints me and Alex were playing around with?" He watched Steve's eyebrows rise.

"Yes?"

"Brought 'em with me this trip."

"And?"

"I don't think she cums harder than when she's tied up."

"Jesus, Buck..."

"What?" Bucky leaned his head back proudly. "You wanted to know the details, didn't you?"

Steve rubbed his face, doing his best not to imagine anything about what he was being told. He still had to work with Alexis, whether she was Bucky's girlfriend or not. "Sure, yeah, but-"

"-You're gonna have to get a little thicker skin if you're ever gonna date again, bud." He watched Steve with growing amusement. A thought came to mind as he watched the struggle continuing across from him. "You know what? Why don't all three of us go out while we're in DC? It can't be all business while we're down there. Besides, when was the last time you and I actually had a night out on the town?"

Recovering swiftly, Steve took a much-needed drink of his beer. "Yeah, I'm down for that. In fact, I'm hoping for more of _that _than the business end of things."

"It's settled then." Bucky gave a shrug of his shoulder and lifted the bottle to his mouth. "Maybe even Captain America will bring someone back with him at the end of the night." He wiggled an eyebrow at his friend, who remained as in denial and uncomfortable as ever. He couldn't help but laugh, even as he swallowed more of his beer.

Steve only shook his head. "You've been a shit influence since day one, you know that?"

"What's meant to be will always find a way" Bucky retorted smartly. He drained the last of the liquid and set the bottle on the table. "Seconds?"

"Please."

Bucky made sure to pat Steve on the shoulder as he passed. Steve chuckled, quickly finished his beer, and wished Bucky would bring three more with him whenever he returned.

Bucky ended up bringing four.

* * *

**Author's Note: I honestly can't wait for the upcoming chapters. I'm in the process of writing them, and they've been so. much. fun. to write! I really hope I can do it all justice and bring you all some good content as we shift from the Island, to New York, and now down to DC. Lot's will happen, so stay tuned. :) **


	10. Chapter 9

The interior of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters was as sterile and boring as Alex imagined it to be. It had that cold Federal feel to it; as if everyone inside was sworn to silence and couldn't nod their head or acknowledge you in a friendly manner without a signed document saying they could. She was greeted by security in the lobby before being passed from one impersonal staff member to another. They took her through the heart of the Headquarters building on their way to Nick Fury's office. One gray room led to another, all of which were dotted between series of windowless hallways. The massive S.H.I.E.L.D. logo was everywhere; as if they were trying to convince themselves of their own mission.

Alex hated it.

She met with Fury in his office first, whose familiar presence was a relief after all the suits and egos she passed on the way there. Following a quick greeting and some small talk, Fury led her into another stale looking conference room where the real meeting took place. Here, Alex was introduced to some of S.H.I.E.L.D's branch division officers. Of those in attendance, only Maria Hill was familiar to her. Everyone else were new faces and names with titles unfamiliar to her, representing most of S.H.I.E.L.D's branch offices all in one meeting. Alex wore her gloves, so whenever she shook anyone's hand in greeting, their eyes lowered with wonder. Apparently they all knew who _she _was, or at least knew what she could do. She noticed the caution in their eyes as they took their seats, choosing to sit across the table from her. Only Nick chose a seat on the same side of the table as her, and Alex appreciated it.

They discussed protocols first, which bored her senseless. Gradually, they transitioned to the topic of her information exchange with Boroshka Gribinov. They covered all the basics up front: Who he was. Who he had been. What he was doing. How she and Bucky came upon him. How they found out the information about him. Was Tony Stark involved. etc.

Then they asked her how she gained all the information. This was always Alex's favorite part of a briefing. She never tired of the subtle, yet horrified looks that blossomed on the faces of those sitting across from her as she described her powers. It'd been no different with this new group of S.H.I.E.L.D. members as it had been with others. Describing what she could do and how her powers could be altered per person and per mission usually freaked the average person out. As she described how she was able to sift through Boroshka's mind and memories, their eyes all lowered to her hands once more. This time, they stared in fascination.

Upon finishing her account of the events, there were very few follow-up questions. Alex found this odd, but was relieved all the same. She was dismissed for the time being, and Fury escorted her out into the hallway while the others remained in discussion.

"I'll give you a buzz whenever we need you next" he told her, the drawl of his voice slower and deeper now that they were in a more public spot. "Seems they need to do a little more poking around into Gribinov's files before we proceed. Did the front office get you set up in temporary quarters?"

"My plan is to head there next." Alex closed the distance between them, aware of eyes and ears both visible and invisible to where they were currently. "Listen, Nick...I was hoping you and I could speak off the record at some point."

Fury's normally deadpan expression livened a little. "There is no such thing as _off the record _here, Markos."

"But surely there's at least one room in this place without constant monitoring?" She shifted her eyes to the camera near the ceiling pointed right at them.

Fury's interest was piqued. He regarded her closely, trying to read her facial cues. Everything Markos did, she did with passion. It was why he liked her. She was a one-woman show who conducted herself with unfaltering conviction. Every word she spoke overflowed with emotion; every facial expression had a dash of animation that came easily to her. Out of all the Avengers he worked with, Markos was one of the easiest to read. Now, however - her expression was unusually rigid. This, most of all, was what worried him.

"There is one place, yes" Fury admitted, lowering his voice further. "Let me get back to you whenever I'm done here and we can meet there. I'll keep the location disclosed until then."

Alex slung her purse over one shoulder and nodded. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"You have any plans tonight?" Fury asked before she turned to leave.

"Actually, yes."

"Taking in the local sights and sounds?" His wry humor was evident in his tone.

Alex smiled. "Let's just say there's a few museums I'd like to visit while I'm here."

It was later that afternoon when Bucky finally heard from Alexis. He was in the break room with some of those others, sitting alongside Nat, Steve, Sam, and Bruce. He ate dinner and listened while they chatted, interjecting only when the topic turned to that of his and Alex's vacation. Just as he suspected, Sam gave him the most shit for some of the pictures he showed. Nat had the best reaction; her expressions oscillating between utterly smitten by what he was showing and being completely jealous of everything he was showing. Both were in good fun, and she seemed really happy for him. It was a nice surprise.

In the middle of all this, Bucky received those first few texts from Alex. While the others around the table continued chatting, Bucky read her message beneath the lip of the table:

_A: Glad that's all over with...for now. This place is as dull as I thought. Can't wait until you get here. What am I missing back home?_

Bucky lifted his eyes to see if anyone noticed him on his phone, then tapped out a reply:

_B: How did everything go? Any problems? Eating dinner in the break room with some of the others. You're missing nothing so far. _

_A: Except you, Sarge. ;) No problems yet, but Fury wants to meet later. If you try to reach me, I might not get back to you for a while if I'm with him._

Bucky stared at his phone, his mouth curving into a smile. Reading that Alex missed him gave his heart a jolt of happiness. Although the mentioning of a private meeting with Fury left him with more questions than answers. Whatever went on, he was sure Alex would keep him in the loop.

"Hey Barnes - you still with us?"

He lifted his head to see Sam and the others staring at him. "What!?"

"Yeaaaah, what." Sam shook his head. "Lemme guess: you're sexting?"

"_Sex_-ting?" Bucky glanced at Steve for guidance, but all he got was a confused shrug. All eyes were on him as he looked around the table. "What's sexting?"

Across from him, Nat lowered her eyes and tried not to smirk. Bruce almost choked on some of his food.

Leaning over the table, Sam looked between both Steve and Bucky. "You mean to tell me _neither _of you know what sexting is?"

Bucky's scowl darkened. "I don't suppose you'd like to educate us?"

"I think it's exactly what it sounds like," Steve whispered. "I _think_."

And so a detailed discussion ensued about texting, sexting, and everything in between. Despite the newfound information he was learning, Bucky felt his phone vibrate in his hands beneath the table and he couldn't help but look:

_A: I'm heading out for a while. Never been here before and all, but want to check out a few local spots. You gonna be around later?_

_B: Yeah, text or call. Everyone's giving me shit for not knowing what sexting is. Do you know?_

_A: What a dangerous question. I'll show you later ;) _

He exhaled with a raise of his hands, garnering the attention of everyone around him. "Great, Alex knows what sexting is, too."

"I bet she _does_" Sam said, his expression turning devious.

Bucky was about to counter this comment but his phone vibrated:

_A: Gotta run. Not sure what my timetable is tonight because of this meeting with Fury, so I'm on the move. Love you._

He wasn't ready to stop talking to her, but understood nonetheless. He fired back a quick text and then slipped his phone back in his pocket:

_B: Love you. Stay safe._

His mind wandered to where Alex might be going and what she'd be visiting, but there'd be time to ask later.

Plus...the idea of learning from her what sexting was _really_ like sent blood rushing down to his groin in anticipation.

He did his best to resume the ridiculous conversation taking place with the others, but his thoughts never wandered too far from Alex and how her evening was going.

* * *

Swapping her business attire for more relaxed clothes for the evening, Alex donned jeans, boots, a hoodie beneath a fitted leather jacket, and topped it all off with a slouchy knit winter hat. She took her hair out of the tight ponytail it had been in all day, sighing at how wonderful it felt to have that tightness relieved. She ran her nails through its length, loosening it further before sliding her winter hat over top. It wasn't as snowy down in DC, but it was just as cold, if not more so. She felt it earlier while walking from S.H.I.E.L.D. over to her temporary quarters. Wind funneled between the close-set buildings and amplified their speed, sending a chill straight down her neck. It made her miss those balmy nights on the beach from a week ago.

When Alex exited her temp quarters, the wind was still present and still just as chilly. She hurried along the sidewalks as she made her way down to the National Mall. Behind her stood the pillar of the Washington Monument, looming tall and stoic at her back. She passed by a few other notable landmarks, but her goal was to visit one particular museum. She checked her phone to make sure she was heading in the right direction, not wanting to be out in the cold any more than she had to be. The Mall was long, but the walk would be worth it in the end.

Despite the weather, Alex was thankful to be on foot and not in Washington DC traffic. It was rush-hour downtown, and she could see the rows of never-ending cars and buses beyond the Mall's edge. But even the Mall had its own version of traffic. An endless sea of businessmen and women dressed in expensive suits of black or navy blue walked by, their faces downcast to avoid the wind that fluttered their long black trench coats. Alex wove between them without thought; her eyes scanning the various Smithsonian buildings to ensure she didn't skip the one she was looking for. Finally, she came to it; the one that had interested her since back in New York: The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Her plan? To take in a little piece of American History called the _Captain America Exhibit_.

Climbing the stairs to the massive building, Alex turned her gaze upward at the eye-catching architecture of the museum's entrance. Beyond the doors was just as spectacular. Old aircraft from aviation's early years were suspended from the ceiling. Alongside those were planes from World War II, as well as prototypes from the infancy of space exploration.

Alex was careful not to bump into anyone as she stared at everything. She fell into the slow-moving mob of visitors, listening to their cheerful, hushed voices fill the entryway. Both kids and adults funneled through the lobby, many of which broke off into the separate wings of the museum to begin their tour. Alex discovered most of them were heading the same direction she was, all aimed for the Captain America exhibit.

It wasn't hard to find, of course. No one could ignore the giant banners decked in red, white, and blue that hung from the ceiling. Steve's serious stare, his shield, and arrows all pointed in the direction where she needed to go. Alex followed the arrows, bypassing rooms full of history she would have loved to take in any other trip. She kept to her goal, swearing she'd come back someday and take in everything when she had more time.

Visiting this museum and spending time in this exhibit had been the idea that popped into her heard once she found out she was traveling to DC. Now that she was here, she felt a little nervous. Her powers tingled just beneath the surface of her skin, anticipating what lay beyond. She was curious; not just to see her fellow Avenger and where it all began, but she wanted to see Bucky most of all. His memory was getting better, but there were still pieces of his past Alex wished to learn.

When she arrived at the exhibit's entrance, she felt a sense of growing pride. The soft music playing in the background, the thematic design of the exhibit, the narration that took her from display to display, all of it evoked emotion in her. She supposed it was meant to evoke emotion in _everyone_ attending, but it was different when you worked alongside someone who had an entire exhibit dedicated to them.

Keeping her gloved hands inside her coat pockets, Alex began the tour.

She passed by pre-serum Steve Rogers and her heart swelled a little. Seeing his scrawny former self was a shock. Sure, she'd seen similar pictures in his file months ago when she joined the team, but seeing him here hit her differently. She _knew _this man. She had the unbelievable privilege of working beside him, even sharing some of his physical characteristics on various missions. It made her feel a little bit like an imposter as she walked through the exhibit. All the people, the kids, the school groups around her...they had no idea. The man they came to see here in the museum was every bit of the legend they thought he was. She really wished she could tell them just how true everything was that they were reading.

She continued through pre-serum Steve's life before entering into the post-serum years. Here she was greeted by other notable figures in Steve's life, one of which was Tony's father. A haunted feeling passed through Alex at the sight. She tried not to dwell on what she knew about Howard Stark's untimely ending, but an uneasiness remained with her as she continued the tour.

Next was a display showing the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D. Seeing this part of the exhibit was aptly timed, given the reasons Alex planned to bring up to Fury. She came to a stop in front of a screen playing a black and white video of Peggy Carter working behind the scenes in Germany. She watched the stunning brunette with admiration, wishing she had known her. A part of her thought they might have gotten along in another life.

Alex moved on. When she turned the corner and saw the giant Howling Commandos display staring back at her, she stopped in her tracks.

There, standing beside Steve - as he always was - was Bucky.

She felt her heart leap into her throat as she slowly approached, her eyes gazing up at the younger face of the man she was in love with.

Bucky was so young, but still just as handsome. He had the same plump mouth. The same proud brow. The same large eyes. It was the same man Alex slept beside most nights. The same man who shared her heart in ways no one else on the planet could.

_And he had short hair_.

Alex lifted a hand to cover her smirk, casting a sidelong glance to make sure no one thought she was crazy.

It was just...so strange.  
So strange to see him with short hair.

But it was _him_. Her lover. Her friend. Her soldier.

She moved a little closer to read the inscriptions beneath each of the Commandos. From somewhere above her, the narrator's voice told the tale of the Howling Commandos and their formation, their successes, and then - that pivotal moment when Sergeant Barnes fell from the freight car.

When Alex heard the narrator's dramatic description, flashes of Bucky's own memories flickered through her mind. Memories of snow and ice. Wind. Falling. Terror. Pain as hot as lightning. All the moments she worked so hard to remove from his psyche suddenly appeared inside her own, and it stole the breath from her.

She clutched a hand to her chest and felt through her hoodie to the two dog tags that hung beneath; the two dog tags given to her as a promise and a token of love. When she felt the reassurance of their weight in her hand, she regained control over her own mind. The images disappeared as the narrator's voice moved on to other topics.

Still clutching the dog tags, Alex looked up at the 26 year old standing in front of her and smiled.

Bucky would have no museum of his own. He may never have the kind of tales of bravery, sacrifice, or valor that Steve had. But Alex knew he deserved them. She knew how hard he worked day in and day out to be better than he was. The man she knew had the same heart and soul as the one standing there in navy and brown, rifle slung over his shoulder and a look of determination on his youthful face. She had seen that man a thousand times before, and she loved him.

Next to the display was another screen that played a looping video. Alex stood and watched 1940s Bucky in action for the first time. The moment was surreal to her. The breath in her lungs remained suspended as she watched clips of him and Steve out in the field. These transitioned to clips of the Howling Commandos stewing over maps together, which then morphed into a clip of just Steve and Bucky together in their uniform fatigues and laughing together. There was no audio, but Alex could hear their laughter in her mind. Even then, Bucky still had that same giant smile she fell in love with the first day she met him.

A surge of emotion hit Alex and she caught her eyes welling with unexpected tears. She blinked them away quickly, aware of the family she heard enter the room behind. Their two young children rushed up to the display, their hands pointing at Bucky and Steve. She took a step back to give them more room, watching as the parents tried to corral their excitement.

The mother looked at Alex with apology. "Sorry" she mouthed, hoping Alex wasn't upset that their kids came barreling in.

Alex waved her hand. "No worries." She gave a smile, then turned to exit that part of the exhibit. As she was about to leave, she overheard one of the kids:

_"Mama, that's Sergeant Barnes!"_

_"Yes, hunny. Steve's best friend."_

_"He doesn't have his metal arm, though?"_

_"Not yet" _the father said. _"He gets that later."_

_"I want a metal arm like Sergeant Barnes."_

Alex felt the jab of pain in her heart. How innocent they were. How little they knew about that metal arm and what it had done to Sergeant Barnes. Her eyes shifted up to the young face of the man she loved and compassion filled her heart. With this, Alex moved on to the rest of the exhibit.

Not once through the tour did she realize she was being followed by someone from S.H.I.E.L.D.

* * *

Nick Fury got into the driver's seat of his SUV around 7 pm that evening. As he pulled out of the underground garage at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, he fired up the computer system on board and told it to dial Alexis Markos' cell. After a few rings, her voice filled the inside of the SUV:

"Was beginning to wonder if I'd ever hear back from you."

Fury heard the sarcasm in her voice and rolled his one good eye. "As you can imagine, things took a little longer than expected."

"They always do."

"Hopefully you've been able to keep yourself busy?" He pulled the SUV onto the main highway as Alex began to laugh.

"Been learning a lot of American History down here at the Flight Museum" she replied.

"Ahhhhhhhh so THAT'S what you meant earlier." Fury nodded, and even let loose a chuckle. "I should've known."

Alex's smile was loud and clear over the line. "You want to pick me up down here? I think I've seen everything there is to see. Did you know they sell a _Cap-sicle_? It's a popsicle, except-"

"-I'm aware they sell those, yes."

"I know it's about 10 degrees outside but I had to buy one. Ya know - just to say I tried it. Not everyone can say they've tasted a _Capsicle._"

Fury laughed again. "Rogers will no doubt appreciate your support." He turned the wheel, hit the gas, and took an onramp that would take him towards the National Mall. "There's a public transportation depot not far from the Museum. About two blocks to the south. Meet there in ten minutes?"

"I'll be there" Alex replied. "Don't keep me waiting."

She hung up before he could respond. For what it was worth, she at least had him smiling. There weren't a whole lot of Avengers who were able to make that a common occurrence.

When Fury arrived at the depot, he spotted Markos right away. The white winter hat she wore made her stand out, as did the large pom-pom on the top. Fury eyed this as she slid into the passenger seat and closed the door. "Nice hat."

Alex pursed her lips. "You don't like it?"

"White's not my color." Fury gave a nod towards his all-black ensemble. "As you can see."

Alex clicked the seat belt over her chest and settled in. "So...where ya taking us? Which room has no audio, no visual, no _nothing _that anyone can monitor? Because I have a lot to say."

Fury pulled out of the depot, but not before casting her a glance. "We're already in it."

"The SUV?"

"Safest place I could think of."

Alex nodded and gave the interior a once-over. "Nice."

"Thanks." Fury gunned the engine, taking them out of the area near the Mall and through some side streets that would get them to the freeway faster. He glanced in his rearview mirror, then pulled the vehicle onto another side street. "So what exactly do you want to tell me about Gribinov that you couldn't - or wouldn't - tell the others?"

"It's not really about Gribinov. It's about S.H.I.E.L.D." Alex stared out the window as the buildings flew by, hoping Fury would hear her out. She'd been thinking about how to phrase what had been worrying her since she entered Boroshka's mind, but figured 'honest' and 'to-the-point' wouldn't fail her. "To be frank, I'm worried about the organization."

Fury's mouth set in a hard line. "You aren't the only one."

"Oh?

"Rogers has been questioning S.H.I.E.L.D. since day one." Fury glanced at her. "Long before you came on the team, there's been issues."

"Issues?!" Alex turned halfway in her seat. "Fury, _issues_ are when the recipe calls for three eggs and you only have two. Having Hydra agents lingering inside your intelligence agency when we're supposed to be getting rid of them is way worse than just an _issue_."

"I understand that, Markos. That's what I'm saying."

Alex could feel her powers igniting. She tried to calm them; to push them down into the well where they lived and ignore their desire to rise into her limbs. "In the time I've been an Avenger, I've encountered two Hydra agents that were somehow tied to S.H.I.E.L.D." She stared at Fury seriously, even though his eyes remained on the road. "That seems excessive. And to be honest? A little fucking frightening."

"What I can tell you is that I'm aware of the situation." He eyed her. "Is that a better word?"

"I'd use _clusterfuck_, but that's just me."

He smirked. "Fine. I'm aware of the _clusterfuck_, but I'm also working on it."

"You say that every time, Fury."

"Things take time. I thought we covered this already?"

Alex looked at him and sighed. "I get it. I do. I'm just worried, is all. This whole thing with Boroshka is just a piece of a much larger fucked up puzzle and it's becoming way too frequent for my level of comfort. I know I've only been a part of all this for less than a year, but if it's this glaring to a new person?"

"What I can say is this" Fury began, pulling the SUV towards the freeway. "Maria and I are working on something. Something that, if done properly, will shake up the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. What we're doing...it's a slow process. It can't be rushed, and it can't _look_ like it's rushed."

It was vague on purpose, but at least it was something Alex could work with. She didn't bother trying to read between the lines because she knew it would only stress her out more. Whatever plan Fury and Hill were working on to better the organization, she would trust it.

"It may have come as a surprise to the others in the meeting today that Gribinov had ties to the Poland branch" continued Fury. "Buy not to me _or_ Maria. We've been investigating that branch for a while now. You said the name you got from Gribinov was Erik, right?"

Hearing the name caused Alex's powers to spark while a lump formed in her throat. _Erik. _The man who tortured her boyfriend and attempted to use him in a breeding program. "Yes" she answered, though her voice sounded frail.

"Then we need to focus on Poland next." With this, Fury lifted a finger and pointed. "And we _keep this between us_, you hear me? Don't say a word to any of the people who were in that meeting today. Don't mention it to anyone who asks you inside that building while you're here."

"Understood."

"The other Avengers can know, obviously" he said, as if reading her mind. "You mentioned Barnes and Rogers were arriving in a couple days?"

The corner of Alex's mouth lifted. "They are."

"I should speak with Rogers, then. I'll set up a meeting."

Silence settled in between them. Though Fury was quiet, Alex could tell his mind was stewing over things. She sat back in her seat and tried to relax. No matter what, she trusted Fury. She wouldn't forget the faith he had in her back in the fall when he helped her take care of the hybrid creatures. It meant the world to her, and the faith they had in each other had saved a lot of lives.

"How has S.H.I.E.L.D. lasted this long with everything that's gone on?" Alex asked. Her tone was serious, but her question was honest.

Fury let out a long sigh; not because Alex asked the question, but because he'd been asking himself this question for years. "Because a few good people continue to fight for the right reasons. Because Avengers like yourself and Barnes don't stop hunting, even when you're on vacation."

Their gazes met across the SUV, and Alex smiled.

After a moment's pause, Fury looked at her. "Have I ever told you about Danvers?"

"Danvers?"

His mouth curved into a smile. "Carol Danvers. A very special Avenger. She, uh..." He waved a hand towards the roof of the SUV. "...she spends a lot of time in space, handling shit up there. She's actually where I got the name _Avengers."_

Alex stared at him with humor in her eyes. "You're just telling me this now, Fury?"

"Because you're similar to her. You never stop questioning, and you never stop fighting to make it better." He looked at Alex and his mouth burst into a full-on grin. He shrugged before looking back at the road. "Something tells me you and Danvers would get along."

"What's her super power?"

"In short? She can shoot photon blasts from her hands."

Alex blinked. "Whoa."

"Amongst other things" Fury added. "You know, the usual: superhuman strength, speed, regeneration, can fly through space…"

"_Can fly through space._" Alex was amused at how casually he said this. "She sounds like a trip."

"Just imagine if you did a transfer with her!" Fury erupted into a full bellied laugh and shook his head. "Ahhhh, shit...I don't think the world is ready for that just yet."

Alex didn't quite understand, but seeing Nick Fury laughing was something she enjoyed tremendously. It even made her laugh a little, and certainly helped brighten the mood.

Fury pulled the SUV off the main highway and headed back towards temp quarters. As they neared the heart of downtown, traffic began to thicken and buildings became more numerous.

"If you think of anything we didn't cover here, I'm just a phone call away" Fury told Alex as he pulled up to the curb. He put the SUV in park and turned to look at her. "But I appreciate your candor. I always have."

Alex gave him a solid nod in thanks. "I appreciate your trust, Fury. I always have."

She opened the door and hopped out of the large vehicle. Fury waited, watching until she scanned her card and the doors opened to the apartment beyond. When she disappeared into the safety of her quarters, Fury called up his computer system.

He hadn't told Markos, but someone had been tailing them since they left the transportation depot. He'd purposely chosen odd streets and avenues to get them onto the freeway; ones that no one in their right mind would take to get to the freeway. This was proof they were being followed, and they were. Once the computer system locked on to their tail, he began a license plate and facial scan of whoever was following them for the rest of the ride.

When Fury brought up the processed data from the computer system, he sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin.

Their tail was none other than Claudia Burke, Eastern European S.H.I.E.L.D. branch division officer, and one of the women who had attended the meeting earlier that day.

* * *

Bucky had fallen asleep on his stomach on the couch, his head pushed into one of the pillows and his mouth hanging open. His metal arm lay draped over the side of the couch. When the sound of his phone ringing drew him from sleep, he lifted his head and reached out to the coffee table. He felt around groggily for his cell, answering it without seeing who was even calling. "Hello?"

"You fell asleep, didn't you?"

Bucky heard Alex's voice and his brain began to wake up. "Hey doll." He pushed himself up and groaned, feeling how stiff the muscles were around the metal of his left shoulder. "Definitely fell asleep. How are you?"

"Tired. Lonely. You?"

"Same." He settled onto his back and sunk into the cushions. "Glad I didn't miss your call. Been waiting to talk to you." He heard Alex utter a long _aww_ on the other line and it made him smile. "Did you meet with Fury?"

"I did, but we can talk about all that later. My brain is tired of thinking about it."

Bucky frowned. "Is everything okay?" He rubbed his eyes of slumber, hoping he hadn't upset her.

"You know how heavy this stuff can get."

"I do." His mouth turned up at the corner. "I wish I could help somehow."

"Believe me, you're helping just by talking to me."

He was happy to hear it. "How was the rest of your day? And what spots did you visit? I've been trying to think of what's interesting in DC but honestly couldn't come up with a single thing."

Alex chuckled. "Weeeelll...I wanted to keep it a secret until you got down here. It's nothing crazy, but I got you a little something while I was out. It'll help explain where I was when you see it."

Now Bucky was even more intrigued. But, if Alex wanted to surprise him, he didn't want to ruin her surprise. "Can't say that really helps my curiosity at all, but I'll play along" he teased.

"Speaking of curiosity...why on earth were you guys talking about sexting earlier?"

Bucky uttered a low rumble of a laugh. "Sam brought it up, so naturally it just took off from there." He scratched at the back of his neck somewhat embarrassingly. "I guess I showed my age again when they told me all about it. I had no idea people did that."

"We're doing something wrong, then" Alex teased.

"Nah. We just don't need pictures and texts to make it happen." Bucky chuckled again, but then he realized the line had gone silent. He listened, wondering if the call somehow got disconnected. "Alexis?"

Right after he said her name, he felt his phone vibrate.

"Check your texts" she said, her smile evident over the phone.

Bucky stared at it with worry. "Can I do that without ending the call?"

"Yeah, just go to your inbox. I'll still be here."

Still afraid he'd hang up on her somehow, Bucky tiptoed through the motions and made it to his texts. He saw one new message from Alex and opened it. When he saw what it was, his eyebrows shot upward and his jaw went slack. _"Holy shit."_

It was a picture of her lying on her bed, shirtless, braless, smiling up at the camera and biting her lip as she palmed one of her bare breasts.

Bucky pinched and zoomed, feeling his pants tighten at the sight. "Babe..."

"Yes?"

"You're fucking gorgeous." He looked at the pic again, eyes lowering down to the waistband of her panties just barely in the picture. He wished he could feel her taut stomach, slide a hand down beneath those panties, feel the warmth there. "You should take your panties off."

"Should I?"

Her voice was flirty and playful, and it turned him on. "Take them off." The line went quiet again and he felt his breath quicken.

"Done."

"Where's the proof?"

"Ah-ha, _now _you're getting it!" Alex teased. "_This _is sexting. Well...more like a combo of-"

"-Proof, doll. I want to see proof" he told her.

His phone vibrated again, and he went to the inbox.

_Fucking hell, this is amazing. _

Bucky stared at Alex's bare hips, her bare center, and the fingers she had pressing against her folds. All the blood in his brain shot down to his growing dick, which he began to rub through the fabric of his pants. "You're killing me."

"How do you think I feel? All alone here, with only your voice in my ear..."

"You should see how hard I am already." He looked down at his growing hard-on, even as Alex's voice purred against his ear.

"Your turn to show me, then."

"Is this how it works?" He couldn't help but smile when he heard Alex laugh. "Fine. If you want it, you got it."

"Oh I _want it, _alright."

Bucky had no clue what to do, so he snapped a pic of his dick in his hand and sent it to her. A bit of nervousness filled his chest as he waited, but then he heard Alex exhale a soft moan and he knew he must have done something right.

"Shit, you look just as big in a picture as you do in real life."

It was one compliment Bucky would never, _ever_ tire of hearing. "Thanks, babe."

"This will certainly help me later tonight."

"Later?" Bucky kept his dick out and stroked its length long and slow. "Why not right now?"

Alex uttered another laugh, but it was low and full of lust. "And you told Sam you had no idea what sexting was. Tsk, tsk."

Bucky smiled against his phone. "I'm a fast learner when I have the right teacher."

"In that case...let's move on to Lesson two, shall we?"

"Lesson two?!"

"Phone sex."

Bucky smirked. "I'm all ears, Professor."


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Just another thank you to all those who take the time to read and support my stories. It really means a lot to me, and gives me more "oomph" to continue writing. I always love receiving messages and comments as well. Recently, I've received comments that question some of the factual evidence within my story. While I welcome all feedback, I do hope that you remember that this story is fiction; based in a world where super heroes exist and super powers are a thing. I'm not trying to make my story as scientifically or canonically perfect, because **_**this **_**is our dream world: a fictional playland where Bucky Barnes has a relationship and we get to explore how he handles being in that relationship. It's meant to be fun - but yes, there will be loopholes. All I ask is that you continue to enjoy the story for what it is, and try not to take it too seriously :) Thank you, friends!**

**Now...on to the new chapter!**

* * *

The following morning, Bucky headed down to the long line of available vehicles within the Avengers garage. Though the cold didn't affect him as much as the average person (given his serum), it was still snowing outside enough to keep him from taking his motorcycle. Snow hitting his face at 70 mph was akin to having a thousand tiny needles pummeling him. So, as much as it pained him to leave his beloved motorcycle behind, Bucky opted for one of the other available vehicles to take him into the city.

For a Friday morning, New York wasn't as busy as he expected. The roads were shit, so he figured that had something to do with it, but was happy for it nonetheless. Any time he could head into the city without half as much traffic and horns and angry pedestrians than usual was a good thing. He loved his hometown and he always would, but he knew what irritated him about it as well, and the traffic was one of them.

Despite fewer cars and people clogging the byways, the snow still made the commute down to Madison Avenue longer than Bucky would have liked. Thankfully, conditions improved the closer he got to downtown, but it was slow going nonetheless. His goal would be worth it though. He promised Alexis a new sleep camisole to replace the one she ruined back on the island, and he didn't want to land in DC later that evening empty-handed.

Knowing he wasn't exactly comfortable doing what he was about to do, Bucky kept Alex and her happiness in mind as he parked the car. He made his way along the avenue of posh boutiques, knowing damn well he was out of his element. Dressed in black jeans, boots, his leather jacket and a dark hat, he resembled an underground rock version of the sleek, sophisticated pedestrians that passed by him on the sidewalk.

One by one he stopped at the storefronts, checking to see if the overall feel of the place spoke of his girlfriend's style. When he finally came to one that did, he walked inside and was instantly bombarded by nothing but lingerie.

It was a small boutique, as they all were on Madison, complete with steep price tags and minimal amounts of fabric. Bucky's eyes went wide, scanning the tables and shelves of slinky items as he tried to figure out how he was going to handle everything he was looking at. He knew Alex's size, he knew she liked jewel tones, and he knew she liked soft things. _Soft and pretty. _That's what he'd promised, and that's what he would deliver.

He also appeared to be the only person in the boutique. Two female employees were speaking to one another at the counter when he entered, and Bucky quickly noticed their appearance brighten upon seeing him. One of the employees quickly straightened her blonde hair and the blazer she wore and then walked over.

"Good morning! Welcome to _La Perla_. Is there something I can help you find?"

Her blue eyes smiled more than her mouth did, which seemed tight and cautious. Given her attire and tone of voice, Bucky sensed she was a bit straight-laced. She was good looking, but had the appearance that she was well aware of that fact.

"Just looking, Ma'am" he answered, eyes darting between her and the other employee behind the counter. He was out of his element. Really, really out of his element.

The blonde looked him over, and her expression hinted that she liked what she saw. "Shopping for someone special?"

"Very special, yes." He smiled. "Can you, uh...point me to the sleepwear?"

Her expression eased a little. "Of course! Right this way."

Bucky followed her into a smaller side room where plenty of the exact items he was looking for were on display. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, dripping with diamonds or crystals or something expensive-looking, while the floor contained several tiered tables full of tiny clothing pieces. Backlit racks of sleeping gowns and robes hung along the walls all around him.

"I'll give you some time to explore" the woman told him. "My name is Sarah, so please let me know if there's something you need assistance with at any time." With this, she placed her hand on Bucky's arm as she was about to leave him, but sensed the hardness of the metal beneath his jacket. Her eyes met his with question.

Bucky only smiled. "Thank you, Sarah."

She gave a curt nod, confused by what she felt but not about to ask, then exited out to the front of the boutique.

Hoping he avoided any strange questioning, Bucky got to work. He examined each piece as though Alex were there, wondering which she would like most. Most of the items were in pastel shades, although one item in sapphire blue stood out to him right away. He went over to it, removed his leather glove from his flesh hand, and felt the satiny fabric between his fingers. He closed his eyes and tried to picture Alex wearing it and if she'd like it, and a smile came to his face almost instantly. With her black hair and dark eyes, he knew she'd look stunning in it. It had a low v-neck in both the front and the back and was trimmed in lace. It came paired with the smallest set of satin shorts he'd ever seen. Knowing her body and how she'd fill them out, he decided to buy those as well.

Another piece also caught his eye; one that was an emerald green color. He liked that one too, but never saw Alex wear anything in that shade. His heart seemed set on the sapphire piece that first caught his eye, so he went with it.

Sarah and the other woman were pleasantly surprised when Bucky arrived back at the front counter with both pieces. Sarah gave her coworker a flick of an eyebrow as she took the pieces from him. "Whoever the recipient is, is one _very _lucky girl."

Bucky felt complimented by this, but kept his grin subtle. "She certainly is."

"Is it your anniversary?" the other woman asked. "I ask only because we don't see too many men step in here unless it is."

He gave her a polite smile. "Just getting it because she deserves it."

She and Sarah exchanged looks of surprise.

"You're a rare breed, then." Sarah folded up the items and placed them in a white box, complete with a white satin ribbon. "What did you say your name was?"

"First name is Bucky, Ma'am."

The other woman made a cutesy-sounding noise. "Well, Bucky - you are one stellar boyfriend, if this is any indication."

Bucky didn't know how to take any of it, so he gave her another gracious smile and waited while Sarah continued wrapping up the items. She placed the box in a black bag and pushed it towards him as he handed over his credit card. He could tell the other woman was still staring at him, but he tried to keep his focus on signing the receipt so he could get out of there.

"Great meeting you, Bucky" Sarah told him. "And I hope your girl pays you back for such a nice gift." She gave him a wink, as did the other woman.

Bucky thanked them and got out of there, happy to have the fresh air in his face again. He stared down at the bag in his hands and smiled. What the two women in the store didn't know was that his girl never had to repay him for anything. She proved her love and her affection every day in ways he never took for granted. Getting her something soft and pretty like he promised certainly made him feel good, and he was excited to see her reaction (and how sexy she looked in it), but it wasn't really what mattered to him. Only her happiness mattered, however he could make that happen.

Feeling satisfied, he headed back to the car. He stared up at the skyscrapers around him, watching as snowflakes danced between their stone and steel designs. It was weird to think he was in the middle of the Pacific Ocean just a few days ago spending every moment with Alex, whereas now she was in DC and he was in New York shopping for her. Life moved too fast for him sometimes.

There was only one more stop Bucky wanted to make before he exited the city completely. He dropped by a deli that had become one of his and Steve's favorites. It was a a bit of a hole-in-the-wall location, but the sandwiches were killer and they made giant homemade cookies that Bucky couldn't help himself to buying every time he stopped there. He ordered a foot-long sandwich and a cookie to-go for both he and Steve, then pointed his vehicle for Headquarters.

By the time he arrived and made it over to Steve's place, he was so hungry he almost ate his sandwich on the way over. He held out, though, and the look on Steve's face when he saw the paper bags he was holding made the waiting worth it.

"No way. You went to _Arnie's?" _Steve's eyes got huge. "Were you in the city?"

Bucky handed over the bag with Steve's name on it as he stepped inside. "Was getting something for Alex. An overdue gift, let's say."

Steve wasn't even paying attention. He must have been just as hungry as Bucky because he had the sandwich _and _the cookie laid out at his kitchen counter with a bite taken before Bucky even claimed a seat. "Slow down, punk or you're gonna choke" he told him.

Steve swallowed some of the sandwich and closed his eyes in ecstasy. "When was the last time we had Arnie's?" He took another bite and chewed, a piece of lettuce sticking out the corner of his mouth. "Had to be back in the spring, right?"

"Think so. Way too long, that's for sure." Bucky opened up his own sandwich and took that first bite and, similar to Steve, tasted the greatness of a true New York deli. "Yeah, it's fucking good, isn't it?"

"Why don't we go there more often?"

"Too busy hunting Hydra our whole lives."

Their matching blue eyes met across the counter in sympathetic understanding.

"That reminds me." Steve swallowed and wiped his mouth. "Fury called. Said he wants to meet with us, and the sooner the better."

Bucky's brow fell. "What's wrong?"

"Sounds like he wants to discuss whatever Markos has been telling them. To _'make plans'_was his exact wording."

The men sat and chewed thoughtfully. Bucky hoped that whatever Fury wanted to meet about didn't mean something awful was in the works. If it was a mission, that would be fine. But if something major developed as a result of Boroshka and whatever Alexis informed them of, it would leave him feeling much more uncomfortable.

Plus, he needed to inform Fury of one major development he was sure Alex hadn't told them: _the words didn't work on him anymore. _

"Speaking of Markos..." Steve mentioned. "What'd you get her that you had to go into the city for?"

Bucky chewed silently, but his eyes met Steve's and his mouth formed a stuffed but subtle smile. "Lingerie" he said, voice muffled by the food.

"Lingerie?"

He nodded, still chewing. He was curious to see what Steve's reaction would be this time, and watched with growing satisfaction as Steve's entire face transformed into a grin.

"Didn't take you for one who really cared much about that sort of thing."

"It's a long story, but I owed her." He shrugged and smiled. "Plus, I've taken a liking to a lot of things I would never have guessed before meeting her."

"And now it sounds like she'll get her gift a few days early" Steve said, finishing the last of his sandwich.

Bucky stared at him. "Why?"

"Because we're leaving tonight."

His eyebrows shot up. "_Tonight_?"

Steve balled up his sandwich wrapper and shot it into the trash like a basketball. "Fury said the sooner the better, so when Fury says 'jump'..." He eyed Bucky and smirked. "You know the rest."

"No I don't" he replied flatly.

Steve inclined his head with sass. "What I mean is: we need to get down there as soon as we can. And since we're not exactly busy at the moment..."

"I haven't eaten my cookie yet."

"When you finish your cookie, Buck."

"Don't deprive me of my cookie."

"I would never deprive you of your cookie."

Bucky nodded towards the counter. "You gonna eat yours?"

"Yes, and you know it."

He shrugged and finished the last of his sandwich. "Was worth a shot." Peeling back the wrapper of the cookie, he took his first bite and considered their new schedule. Originally, he thought he would have at least one more day to get ready for DC, but that had been cut in half. It excited him, though. Now he could surprise Alexis two-fold: with a special gift she wasn't expecting, and with a much earlier arrival.

"Does Alexis know we're showing up tonight instead of tomorrow?" he asked.

"She won't hear it from me." Steve gave him a wink.

"Let's keep it that way and see what happens" Bucky said, and they shared a knowing smile.

* * *

Alex was two hours into a meeting that seemed to have no end. The details about Boroshka Gribinov's exit from Hydra and hiding out on Stark's private island was far more interesting that she could have ever guessed, even after seeing a lot of it in Boroshka's mind. S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence uncovered that Erik Dobrow - his former name before going under the radar - was also ousted from Hydra when the Winter Soldier program reached its limit and disintegrated. He ran, as all cowards do, and Boroshka went with him. Now he was hiding under a different identity and, more than likely, some sort of advanced biological change that allowed him to migrate into S.H.I.E.L.D.

Surprised by absolutely none of it, Alex watched as shocked and horrified S.H.I.E.L.D. staff members worked through their emotions over 'yet another Hydra agent' infiltrating their agency. More than once, she side-eyed Fury at their reactions. Unspoken words were passed between them, but Fury maintained a well-skilled poker face through all of it.

Towards the second hour of negotiations on where S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers team would go from here, Fury was summoned unexpectedly from the meeting.

Alex watched as he rose from his chair, apologized to the group, and then headed into the hallway where another staff member walked away with him. When she looked back at the rest of the group before her, question lingered in their eyes.

One of the branch division officers stood and smiled. "Why don't we use this as a much-needed break from all the talking?"

It was all Alex and the others needed to hear. The group stood in unison in a shuffle of chairs and soft voices as many exited the conference room. Alex was about to join them, but an accented voice stopped her.

"Miss Markos, if I may?"

Alex turned to see the Eastern European branch officer approach walking forward. She was a mature woman; somewhere in her mid to late 60s, with tightly pinned back gray hair and bright eyes. Her attire was modest and professional, comprising of a short blazer jacket and a knee length skirt in the same shade of cherry red. She thought her name was Claudia, but couldn't be sure.

The woman held out her hand. "Claudia Burke, Eastern Europe representative."

"Yes, Ms. Burke - I remember now." Because Alex was wearing her gloves, she was able to shake the woman's hand.

"Please. Call me Claudia." She politely folded her hands in front of her waist as her eyes stayed on Alex's hands. "You've a very interesting predicament, don't you?"

The term _predicament _gave Alex pause. "I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"Your hands, dear. They cause a bit of trouble for you, don't they?"

"Only to those who are evil" Alex replied with a grin.

Claudia's mouth turned suddenly rigid. "Yes. Maybe so."

Alex was used to odd comments about her hands; God knows she had a whole lifetime of phrases and insults and jokes to look back on. Until now however, she'd never heard anyone call her powers a _predicament_.

She was still waiting for the reason why Claudia had stopped her, but she didn't want to be rude. "Is there something I can help you with?" she offered. "I know the Poland branch is under your jurisdiction. It must be difficult to hear everything being discussed here."

The woman bristled a bit, but kept her polite smile. "I'm actually quite tired of all the discussion. I was just simply hoping to hear more about your lovely vacation." With this, her smile beamed. "I'm sure it was a wonderful time, aside from the one mishap you experienced?"

"Yes, it definitely was" Alex said, feeling a trickle of nostalgia for her vacation.

The room had now emptied and only Alex and Claudia were left. Claudia began to walk slowly towards the door, motioning for her to follow. "It must be such a relief that, despite the challenges of your predicament, you are still able to have a romantic relationship." Her gaze turned to Alex as if waiting for an explanation.

"Believe me, I count my blessings every day" was Alex's response. She'd give no more than that to someone she barely knew, no matter how rude she might appear.

Claudia clearly didn't get what she was wanting, but accepted it nonetheless. Alex could see a hint of frustration in the woman's eyes. The aged lines of her face barely moved even when she was smiling. Perhaps she was trying to get her to say something that would give her the edge to help her Polish branch members, or maybe she was just genuinely curious, Alex didn't know. All she knew was what Fury told her in the vehicle the night before: _say nothing to anyone at the meeting. _

"I was impressed to hear that Sergeant Barnes has improved beyond his limitations" Claudia mentioned, trying another angle. "Your relationship must be helping him so much."

Alex felt her irritation flare at Claudia's word choices. "I'm sorry - limitations?"

"Given his past. We all know what he's done."

This caused Alex to stop. She took one inhale to steady herself before facing the small woman in front of her. "Ms. Burke-"

"-Claudia" she returned crisply.

Alex bit her tongue. "I understand the perception many have, particularly those who don't know Sergeant Barnes personally. However, what most people think they know about him and his history was, in fact, all Hydra's doing. Not his."

A standoff began right then and there between the two women. Though Claudia was a few inches shorter than Alex and far more plump and aged, the woman's stare did not back down. Her polite smile morphed into a tight line edged with impatience.

"I see now that your bias has clouded your better judgment," Claudia replied with a click of her tongue. "And here I took you for such a bright woman. What a shame."

She exited the conference room and left Alex alone. Inside her body, Alex's powers roared with a fury she hadn't anticipated, filling her with a fire ignited by anger. When she glanced down at her palms, a faint white light seeped through her gloves up to her wrists. She flexed her hands and steadied her breath, trying to quiet her powers as best she could. One thing was certain: the Poland Branch was going to be an issue.

Perhaps even a _clusterfuck _of an issue.

* * *

Fury stepped inside Maria Hill's office and shut the door. "What'd you find out?"

"Just as you suspected, Claudia Burke isn't _Claudia _at all." Maria looked up from her laptop screen and removed her glasses. "Her birth name is _Oxana Kovalenko_. Daughter of one of Hydra's top scientists in the 40s." She sat forward and lowered her voice. "One who, coincidentally, worked alongside Arnim Zola."

"Well how 'bout that." Fury's voice was thick with sarcasm and his waning supply of patience. "Seems they all have an alias."

"And an endless supply of fingerprints." Maria's hands flew across the keyboard as she brought up Oxana's many security clearances during her career. "Seems her, Boroshka, Erik, all of them have access to some serious biometric equipment."

Fury leaned over Maria's shoulder and peered at the screen. "Not surprising if you're the daughter of a scientific maniac." He stood up and folded his arms over his chest. "Do we know why she was following Markos?"

"Has to be her connection to Barnes."

Fury began walking towards the door. "We need confirmation of that next."

"Do we tell her?" Maria called after him. "Alexis?"

Fury hesitated at the door. "No." He turned and looked at Maria grimly. "If your methods can't give us confirmation, then maybe Markos will."

* * *

Alex lay slumped against the couch inside her temporary living room, flipping endlessly through television channels but finding nothing of interest to watch. Her brain was too scattered and her energy too unsettled to really focus on any one thing. She tried reading a few chapters of the book she brought with her, but couldn't concentrate. She turned to television, but nothing interested her long enough to hold her attention. She finally just gave in and left it on a cooking show as background noise while she thought about the day's events.

That, and she hadn't heard from Bucky all evening.

He'd sent a text earlier saying that he and Steve were going into the city and that he'd try her later once they got back. What they were doing, where they were going and why, still remained a mystery to her. Alex thought it was really great that the two of them were spending more time together. She also realized that after spending an entire week alone with a girlfriend, Bucky was probably in need of some serious guy-time. She just hoped whatever they were up to, they were safe. All the meetings and the topics being discussed the past two days had her on edge.

When the doorbell buzzed, it surprised Alex so much that she nearly jumped off the couch. She fumbled for the remote to mute the tv before answering the door. After a second's worth of wondering who it could possibly be, she figured it had to be Fury.

When she opened the door and saw it was Bucky, her hands covered her mouth in shock.

Bucky smiled crookedly, his eyes shimmering with love. "Hey doll."

Alex threw her arms around his neck and started laughing. "You're EARLY! Why!? How?! I thought you were in New York!?"

"I know, and I'm sorry for fibbing" he said, hugging her tight against him. "But the New York thing was _his _idea."

Withdrawing from Bucky's arms, Alex saw Steve crowding into the hallway behind him. His handsome smile was laced with a twinge of guilt. "Hiya Markos."

She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "_Captain_." Her eyes flicked between the two of them, her emotions a mix of disbelief and gratitude. "So let me guess..." She settled her hands on her hips. "Since you're both here, and you're early, something tells me it wasn't because you were excited to come down to DC."

The two men shared a knowing glance. "You're not entirely wrong" said Steve.

"Fury?" she asked.

They nodded in unison.

"Should've known!" Alex said with a laugh. "But I'm so glad you're here." She exchanged a smile with Bucky. "For many reasons."

Steve lifted a backpack over his shoulder and nudged Bucky. "I'll leave you two for now so I can get settled in. Don't forget: meeting with Fury tomorrow. 0700 hours."

"Got it" Bucky told him, his face still locked in a permanent smile. When he looked back at Alex, they shared that same massive smile together and hugged again.

Once Bucky was inside Alex's place and brought his stuff into the bedroom, she invited him to join her on the couch. When Bucky emerged from the bedroom, Alex noticed both his hands were behind his back and the blue of his eyes shone with mischief.

"So I got you something..."

Alex eyed him curiously.

"...something I promised you." His dimples appeared as his grin grew. "Any guesses?"

She shook her head. "I can't imagine what you're even referring to?" She tried to think back to things he promised to get her, but was drawing blanks. Plus, he was standing there looking handsome as fuck in his worn jeans and leather jacket and holding something she couldn't see, so she was starting to feel flustered. "What is it?"

He came closer to where she sat on the couch and knelt on both knees in front of her so that they were eye level. He revealed a white box from behind his back, holding it in front of the both of them.

Alex stared down at the box and then looked at him with question.

Bucky gave her a nod of encouragement. "Open it."

She took the box and felt her anticipation grow with each passing second. The excitement evident in Bucky's expression seemed to transfer to her in those moments as she began to open the gift.

No one ever gave her gifts.

In fact, the last gift Alex got was the tiny little opalescent seashell Bucky gave her back on the island, and even that was something she didn't feel like she deserved.

But this...this was a large box, so whatever the contents were couldn't be jewelry. In fact, Alex honestly had no idea what it could be, which added to her curiosity.

She took the bow off first and set it on the couch cushion beside her. Her gaze met Bucky's as she lifted the corners of the lid up and off. Beneath lay two pieces of tissue paper folded over and held together with a circular sticker. Alex carefully tore this apart and opened the tissue paper to reveal the gift below.

Realization settled in as she lifted a gorgeous dark blue silk top out of the box. She looked past it to the man kneeling in front of her. "Is this...?"

"I promised you something soft and pretty back on the island, didn't I?"

"You did! But...James, it's _gorgeous." _She stared at the beautiful fabric and the delicate lace trim detail and could tell just from the look and feel of it that it was well made. It was even softer than the one she ruined, and way, _way _prettier. She began to shake her head as she looked at Bucky; the shade of his beautiful eyes only a fraction brighter than the color of the camisole. "You really didn't have to."

Bucky reached a hand up to cup her cheek. "You _always_say that, and you know my answer is the same every time." He pulled her towards him and kissed her mouth. "Plus..." He nuzzled his nose to hers. "You didn't see the other half yet."

Alex cocked her head. "Other half?"

He nodded towards the box. "There's a Part 2."

She looked down and saw what he meant. She lifted out a pair of matching silk shorts and uttered an excited giggle. "Shorts, _too?!_?"

Bucky grinned and pulled Alex in for another loving embrace. She smiled into the kiss, feeling the love that radiated from Bucky. She held the items in one hand and braced the other against his neck as she gazed into his eyes. "These are absolutely stunning, James. _Way _nicer than what I threw away a week ago."

He laughed. "Glad I could help you upgrade."

"I can't wait to wear them." She made sure to emphasize the lust in her voice as she said this.

Bucky picked up on it and added a flare of his own. "I can't wait to _see _youin them."

Alex placed the items back in the box and then slid off the couch until she was also on her knees. She cupped Bucky's broad face in her hands and immersed herself in the love present in his gaze. "Thank you for being so thoughtful, and thank you for treating me to something so nice."

The look in Alex's eyes and the affection in her voice was exactly why Bucky did what he did. He brushed away a piece of her hair and swept his thumb across her cheek. "You're welcome, love."

Alex gave herself over to the feel of his soft mouth once more. For the first time since she arrived in DC, her mind finally relaxed. Thoughts fizzled as Bucky's touch strengthened and his hands sunk into her hair, guiding her mouth against his. She breathed a little deeper, felt a little stronger, and her powers thrummed in a low and present current that told her she was safe again. Bucky was her other half in every sense, and she felt it clearly in that moment.

"Question for you" she murmured, coming out of the depth of their embrace. She opened her eyes to find Bucky staring back at her. His eyes were soft; softer than eyes should ever be. "Have I turned into the girl who hates being away from her boyfriend for longer than a few days?"

Bucky exhaled a laugh. "What's so bad about that?" His fingers caressed the back of her neck as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We're partners. We're a team. And it gets pretty difficult to be away from your best teammate, right?"

They were the words Alex needed to hear. She nodded and smiled, feeling his reassurance in the very depth of her soul. "You're right."

Bucky drew her in for another heartfelt hug and Alex was bathed in his comforting warmth. She breathed in the heady blend of his cologne and his leather jacket, and the smile that came to her was a natural reflex. It was always the little things about Bucky that made her the happiest.

Upon separating, Alex rocked back on her heels and then stood. "You're not the only one who has a surprise." She fingered his chin lovingly. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Bucky felt a ripple of excitement as he regained a spot on the couch. In the minute or so that she was gone, he tried to think of what she might have gotten him. He remembered her mentioning a surprise when they talked the night before, but he could only guess at what she meant.

When Alex came back into the living room, she took a spot across from him on the couch. "Remember when I went out the other day and did some sightseeing?" She held a black and white photograph out in front of her. "Does this tell you where I went?"

Bucky stared at the picture with wonder. It was a photo of _him. _He wasdressed in his Army enlistment uniform of olive and tan, his hat cocked to one side and his posture proudly erect. He couldn't have been more than 20 in the photo, but his memory wouldn't allow him to recall much else.

He reached out with cautious fingers as he took the photo from Alex. "You went to the Exhibit?"

A bashful smiled played at her lips. "I wanted to see you. To learn about you when you were in the war, to see what you looked like in your uniform, to see what you were like when you were basically my age."

Bucky's eyes lifted, fear and hope swirling in their color. "Did you like what you saw?"

She leaned in until her lips were only a whisper from his. "I _loved _everything I saw."

Her lips connected with his and Bucky closed his eyes. Inside his chest, his heart began to race. His memory struggled to take him back to the moment that picture was taken, but he didn't care. It would mean leaving the tenderness of the present, and he didn't want to be anywhere else in time but here.

Alex stared into his eyes as their mouths parted. "You can keep the picture, by the way. I flashed my badge and showed them my hands and they basically made no argument against me taking it."

Bucky uttered a surprised laugh. "Really?" He glanced down at the photo again and shook his head. "Seeing stuff like this...I don't know, it always feels like it was a lifetime ago."

Alex pressed her hand to his chest, directly over his heart. "Same soul, though" she told him. "Same beautiful soul."

Bucky felt his breath shudder in his chest. The fact that someone, anyone, could think that about him shook him to the core. He didn't deserve Alexis. She was perfection, whereas he was flawed; broken. Her love healed him and made him whole, and he only hoped his love did the same for her.

He never really knew what to say in moments like this, but even as these thoughts and emotions swirled within him, he could feel them being tamed by Alex's touch. White light from her powers curled about her fingers and connected with his body, soothing him and quieting the doubt that cropped up in his mind. It was like she knew somehow; in that crazy-weird way she always seemed to know. Whether it was their love that connected them or her powers, Bucky didn't care. He was just thankful to have someone who understood him and loved him the way she did.

Overwhelmed by emotion and a need to be as close to her as possible, Bucky scooped Alex up into his arms to the sound of her surprise-filled laughter.

"What are you doing!?"

"Taking you to bed." He nudged open the bedroom door and carried Alex inside. "You have new sleepwear I'm dying to see, and I'm exhausted." He carefully lowered her onto the bed and then climbed up beside her. "Spent all morning in underwear boutiques, you know. It takes a lot out of a guy."

The mental picture that came to Alex's mind only made her laugh harder. "I can't imagine how you must have looked among all those suit-and-tie-wearing New Yorkers." She reached over to tug on a strand of his long hair. "Get comfy while I go change."

"Don't take too long," he teased, watching as she hurriedly exited the room.

Once she grabbed the box and the items, Alex went into the washroom to change. She slipped out of her current outfit and into her new one, starting with the top. She was utterly amazed at the quality and beauty in the items Bucky had chosen for her. The fabric dripped like liquid over her body; the silhouette of her nipples visible through the thin silk. She was sure he'd enjoy that, if nothing else.

Next came the shorts. They were _tiny, _but sexy in a way that reminded her of old Hollywood glamour. Nevermind that her ass cheeks peeked out from the bottom (she was positive Bucky would love that even more), but there was definitely something about the pieces that were reminiscent of a more glamorous time.

Alex stared at her reflection in the mirror and smiled.  
She felt sexy. _Beautiful,_ even.  
She couldn't wait to show him.

Since the washroom was located adjacent to the bedroom, when Alex opened the door to reveal herself, she was already facing the bed. Bucky remained lying on his back, but once he saw her appear in the doorway he sat up on his forearms.

"What do you think?" Alex did a slow spin, noticing that his eyes widened at least three sizes.

"I think you are easily the sexiest woman alive" Bucky answered. "And holy shit, did I choose well."

Alex loved how expressive he got in moments like this. His eyes always widened, his mouth always opened, and his body _always _responded. She crawled onto the bed next to him as his hand reached out to feel the fabric on her skin.

"You look even better than I imagined." His hand slipped beneath the silk to grip her waist and pull her closer. "And I'm suddenly very overdressed."

"What are you waiting for?" she teased. "Take your damn clothes off!"

Bucky sat up, dimples fully present. "Yes, Ma'am."

As he proceeded to remove his clothes piece by piece, Alex felt a certain amount of pride while she watched. She was fully aware that every subtle movement of muscle was all hers to enjoy. The dark hair that fell over his face as he stripped off his jeans, the slight smirk as he lifted his shirt up over his head and revealed his broad chest, all of it was hers. Earlier that day, she had informed that self-righteous woman Claudia that she counted her blessings every day, and she intended to keep her word.

When Bucky was down to just his boxer briefs, he climbed back onto the bed and pulled Alex against him. "Yep, that feels _much _better."

"It _looks _much better," Alex added with a kiss to his cheek. She fell into her usual spot nestled against his bare chest, settling into the comfort of his arms as they closed around her. "Feels a little more normal like this too, doesn't it?"

Bucky murmured a _yes _against her neck. "I missed this."

"Me too."

"Guess that makes me the guy who hates being away from his girlfriend after a few days."

Alex could feel him smiling. "What's so wrong with that?" She gazed back at him and winked, and then their mouths connected once more.

The night wore on and the couple eventually fell asleep in one another's arms. Outside, one of Claudia Burke's spies waited in an SUV across the street. He monitored S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary living quarters for any activity from the three Avengers, but none came the rest of the night. In the morning, he would report his findings to Claudia as she requested.


	12. Chapter 11

The last time Bucky was inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, he'd just left Wakanda fully recovered from his years being brainwashed by Hydra. Steve had been there with him, just as he was now. For all Bucky could recall, he'd been scared shitless that day. The only other time he'd been inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, things had gone badly...very badly.

So in the morning, as he, Steve, and Alexis arrived at the Triskelion together, Bucky had a brand new perspective and a far steadier state of mind. He was no longer scared shitless, but felt confident in his Avenger status and title. Plus, he had his girl beside him. He felt confident walking through those entrance doors for the first time in his life.

Alex knew the importance of the moment. Her smile was proud as they pushed through Headquarter's entrance doors, and Bucky felt her hand rub the low of his back. Just a quick little _you got this_, _I'm proud of you_. It was all it took for his spine to straighten a little further and to hold his head a little higher. He had the two most important people in his life with him, and he felt unstoppable.

They passed through security without trouble. Steve led the three of them to the elevators that would take them to Fury's office, Alex boarding first while the other two filed in beside her. She turned and saw many sets of eyes turn their direction. It was hard to miss Captain America walking through the hallways of S.H.I.E.L.D., even when he wasn't in uniform. To see him next to two other Avengers was a whole other sight to see. Alex watched the curious stares with a smile until the elevator doors closed.

Steve flashed his credentials and programmed Fury's office into the panel on the wall. An electronic voice filled the elevator as the car began shooting upwards. He uttered a soft sigh and crossed his hands at the wrist. "This should be interesting, huh?"

Bucky smirked. "Wonder what sort of unforeseen disaster is waiting for us."

"We're guaranteed at least one fact about Hydra we never saw coming" Steve replied, not bothering to hide his own smirk.

"Just one?" Bucky lifted an eyebrow. "A bit conservative, considering its Hydra."

"It's almost like you two have done this before" Alex joked.

Even Steve uttered a chuckle. "Seasoned veterans, Markos. In every sense of the word."

The elevator dinged and the metal doors slid open to reveal Fury's private office. He was sitting at his desk studying something on his computer screen as the three of them filed into the room.

"Well, well - the dynamic trio. Right on time."

He stood and shook Steve's hand first, followed by Bucky and then Alexis. He motioned for each of them to claim a seat in front of the desk as he took his position across from them. "Thank you again for coming down here on such short notice. I understand it was only slightly sooner than you originally had planned, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Bucky and Alex shared a quick smile, knowing very well there had been little that had stopped him from agreeing to make the trip sooner.

"I'm afraid not everything I'm about to tell you will be considered 'good news', which is why I wanted all of you here to hear it together" Fury continued. He eyed each of them in his usual serious manner, but his gaze landed on Bucky last. "Your old acquaintance Gribinov had a lot of friends behind the scenes, Barnes. Good work on not hesitating to take him out when you had the chance."

Bucky gave him a solid nod in thanks.

"What Markos gained from Gribinov's memories has been invaluable, but alarming." Fury turned one of this two computer monitors around for them to see. On the screen were the faces of several individuals along with information gathered from their personal dossiers. "Here you'll see someone you might recognize, Barnes. For you, Rogers and Markos, maybe not so recognizable. These are the people connected to Gribinov and his release from Hydra and, eventually, how he was able to skip through S.H.I.E.L.D. without being tagged."

Alex knew none of the faces personally, but two of the men on the screen she'd recognized from Boroshka's memories. Her chest tightened a little when she saw Bucky lean forward in his seat.

"The man on the top left" he remarked, voice gravelly, "he worked exclusively with the Winter Soldier program."

Alex saw Bucky's eyes shift in her direction. She knew without him even saying that is was the man named Erik, the one Boroshka had mentioned.

"You came in contact with him?"

"I did."

Fury read the first few sentences on the man's file. "_Name_: Erik Dobrow. _Age_: 65. Former Hydra scientist and Top Informant during the 1960s through the 1980s." He eyed Bucky. "Sound familiar?"

"Very."

"Like the rest of his buddies here, Dobrow's operated under a number of aliases since his exit from Hydra" Fury told him. "Do you remember anything about his exit from the program?"

"I do not." Bucky hesitated, and the sound of guilt could be heard in his voice. "I was wiped and put under ice enough times to ensure I never could."

An unsettling silence hung in the room. Alex wished she could reach out and take Bucky's hand, but she held off.

Fury turned to Steve. "Any of these men familiar to you?"

"None, unfortunately." Steve leaned closer to the monitors to read their information. "Are they all still alive?"

"All still alive. All adjusted their biometrics more than once to hide under the radar. And all connected to the Poland branch." Fury clicked out of the screen and brought up another set of pictures. This set showed the men's various fingerprint changes that had been logged throughout S.H.I.E.L.D., in addition to their various profile pictures. "Using advanced science developed and tweaked by Hydra itself, these individuals have been able to fool S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades. Myself included."

Steve stared at the screen with disgust. "So just more of the same" he replied sourly. "More Hydra agents doing the same they've always done: hiding in plain sight, playing our own game against us-"

"-Don't get upset yet, Rogers" Fury told him. "We've only just begun unfolding this mystery. Agent Hill and I are working on something that I think will be of high interest to all three of you if our work is successful in the next 24 to 48 hours." When he said this, his eyes landed on Alex.

Alex guessed it had to do with whatever he had alluded to in his SUV the other night. Again, she would trust him, even though Steve was clearly struggling.

"I understand, Fury, but I need more information." Steve stood and tapped a finger on the desk. "I need these files in my hand so I know what we're up against. I need to know how many others might be hiding in other branches, and I need to know-"

"-You'll get everything you need soon enough" Fury replied calmly. He held out a hand, gesturing for Steve to take his seat and didn't continue speaking until he did so. His gaze passed over each one of the Avengers slowly with an emphasized pause. "What _I _need is for you three to _stay vigilant _over the next 24 hours, maybe even up to 48 hours. Agent Hill and I will get all the information to you, and a potential mission if we're lucky with what we find. In the meantime, do your best not to get wound up in anything. Understood?"

All three of the Avengers nodded.

Fury sat back in his chair. "That's all for now. Keep your phones close by, and remember: _stay vigilant._"

* * *

It was a somewhat silent lunch when Steve, Bucky, and Alex went out to grab food. They got their items to go and went back to Steve's temporary apartment. The three of them sat around the coffee table in the middle of the living room and spread out the food. It was a little difficult given the long legs and bulky bodies of the two men hosting super serums, but Alex settled into her spot just fine. At times they discussed what they learned that morning, but they mostly ate in contemplative silence. Since much of it was so up in the air, any speculation only did more to upset them than it did anything else.

One thing that remained on Alex's mind was Fury's last request before they left. She'd been thinking about it all morning, and so far, they hadn't discussed it.

"So what do you suppose _stay vigilant_ really means?" she asked them. "Fury repeated it twice, which makes me think he knows something we don't."

Bucky shrugged. "Isn't that typical of Fury, though?"

"True." She looked over at Steve for his thoughts but could see he was still irritated. His jaw hadn't relaxed since they left Fury's office, not even to eat his lunch. Despite his frustrations, whenever she or Bucky's attention turned to him, Steve always responded.

"He's definitely not telling us everything," he told Alex. "What he's holding back, though, is anyone's guess at this point."

"Whatever he's holding back he's doing it for a reason" Bucky added, hoping to give Steve some kind of reassurance that would help him relax. "Besides - when _aren't _we vigilant? Alex and I were on vacation and we were still vigilant."

This piece of information seemed to do the trick. Steve's large shoulders visibly relaxed for the time being, and he leaned back against the foot of the couch. "You're right. Until then, we'll bide our time until we're called upon to act."

Alex smiled at the two men sitting on the floor across from her. "So...how shall we bide the time?" To her surprise, she watched as Bucky elbowed Steve in the side.

"Remember what I suggested back in New York?"

The tense lines of Steve's face eased. "Yes."

"You still in?"

Alex felt a little left out. "Still in for what, exactly!?"

A playful smile began to spread across Steve's face. "Bucky wants us all to go out and let loose a little."

"To my credit, it's been a long ass time since Steve and I went out" Bucky told her. "And when was the last time all _three _of us got to hang out together?"

Alex couldn't help but shrug. "He's got a point."

"I know he does" Steve replied with some humor. He lifted his hands and conceded willingly. "Alright, I'm in. We have the time anyways, so why not. But - _we have to _stay vigilant."

Both Bucky and Alex waved their hands dismissively in unison. "Yeah yeah yeah" they echoed, garnering another eye roll from Steve, even as he chuckled along with him.

* * *

"I don't know. What do you think? Normal or braided?"

Bucky just slipped on a clean henley shirt and tugged it down over his midsection when he heard Alex in the washroom. "One sec, doll." He grabbed his belt and slid it through the loops on his jeans before joining her in the doorway. When he looked up from fastening the buckle, he saw that Alex had loosely braided her long dark hair over one shoulder. Her eyes found his in the reflection of the mirror and she shrugged.

"Yay or nay?"

"I like it." He stepped in and gave her a peck on the cheek. "It's different."

"It doesn't look juvenile? I haven't worn a braid in years...And I mean _years_."

Taking a standing position behind her, Bucky placed his palms on the top of her shoulders and stared at her reflection. "You look beautiful. And like I said, it's different. It looks great on you."

He settled his head next to hers and wrapped his arms around her from behind. They took a minute to stare at their reflections together in the mirror in silent admiration. Bucky had several inches of height over Alex, but her body fit so well against his in so many ways. With his head nestled against hers, Alex felt the tickle of his beard and the ends of his hair along her neck and it made her scrunch up her face. "Tickles."

"I know." His voice was playful as he ran his jaw along her tattooed shoulder.

Since Alex had chosen a drapey off-the-shoulder top for the night, when Bucky drug his stubble along her bare skin, it caused Alex to wiggle her way out of his embrace with a laugh. "Are you almost ready?" She patted him away so she could finish plating her braid.

"Just need to get Steve."

"I promise to be ready by the time you get him."

Bucky headed over to Steve's while Alex finished, taking his time so he didn't rush her. Steve was also just about finished, so Bucky waited in the living room of the small apartment. A moment of consideration passed through his mind. He'd brought some of his weapons with him to DC, if only because he felt naked whenever he didn't. He wondered if he should at least carry one knife with him, but he told himself no. This was supposed to be an enjoyable evening, and it would be. _Yes,_ they would be aware at all times, but he wasn't about to be paranoid either. Besides, like Stark had said: he carried his weapon with him at all times.

Thinking of this, Bucky inspected his hands and wondered if he should leave them uncovered. He was tired of always disguising his metal, either with a jacket, or gloves, or a combination of both. His long sleeve shirt would keep the bulk of his arm concealed, but maybe he didn't need to worry about the hand. Maybe tonight, just to try it out, he'd leave it uncovered.

Steve came down the hall and noticed Bucky standing deep in thought. "All set?"

It was enough to pull him out of his thoughts. He turned and inspected his best friend with a smirk. He'd chosen a plaid button-down and khakis which was, all things considered, typical Steve attire.

Steve saw Bucky's smirk and cocked his head. "What?"

Bucky shrugged innocently. "Nothing."

"It's the khakis, isn't it?"

Bucky held up his hands. "I said nothing." He went over and clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder. "You look good, pal. A little bit like you're going to a really nice office party, but still good."

Steve pulled a face at him as he grabbed his keys and his phone. "Is Alexis ready?"

"Just about." Before they left, Bucky threw an arm around Steve's shoulder. "Tonight's ours, so let's make sure we enjoy it. It's been a long time since you and I got to do something like this, and I've been looking forward to it since you mentioned it."

This brought a lift to the corner of Steve's mouth. "Me too, Buck."

The friends shared a quick half-hug, and then went down the hallway to grab Alexis and head out.

* * *

When Bucky, Steve, and Alexis left S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temp quarters for the night, another of Claudia Burke's spies sat in an SUV across the street. He watched from behind heavily-tinted windows as the trio walked along the sidewalk towards downtown, their cheerful laughter audible from where he was positioned. When they turned the corner and disappeared, he pressed a button on his earpiece:

"Barnes and Rogers confirmed to still be with Markos. Subjects left location together. No weaponry visible."

"Follow them," replied Burke.

The man started the engine of the SUV. "I'm going to need backup now that there's three of them."

"You'll get it."

He pulled the car onto the street and edged towards the corner where the trio was last seen. From here, he saw Barnes had lifted the woman up onto his back, her legs wrapped around his waist from behind. They were laughing loudly enough that he could hear them from his position. Rogers was saying something to the both of them, his easy smile brighter than the streetlights. Whatever they were up to or wherever they were going, they clearly didn't see they were being followed or even felt threatened.

"They appear distracted," the man said into the earpiece. "They have no idea I'm here."

"Good. That will work in our favor" Burke replied. "Stay on them and radio when you need assistance. And remember: do _not _let Barnes out of your sight."

"Roger that."

"Get to work, and be in touch."

The man pressed the button again and his earpiece went silent. He pulled onto the street adjacent to where the trio were walking and continued to follow them.

* * *

The trio decided on a small underground bar with live music and plenty of craft beer on tap to satisfy everyone's palate. They descended a stairway that led below street level to the bar's entrance, the smooth sound of blues instruments drawling out from beyond the walls. The combination of guitars, horns, and a harmonica filled the bar with a smooth tempo, giving it an easy, laid-back feel. The bar itself was quite intimate, but not at all cramped. Dim lighting, heavy wooden tables, and a variety of patrons filled the bulk of the space. A good mix of DC businessmen and women sat alongside more casually dressed individuals; all looking to offload the day's events no matter what background they had. Two pool tables sat snugly back against a far wall while a small stage stood on the opposite end and hosted the band. It was exactly what Alex, Bucky, and Steve were hoping for.

Steve took the lead as he led them towards an empty table near the back. Bucky motioned for Alex to walk ahead so he could take a protective stance behind her. He kept close as his trained eyes scanned the bar for threats. He reminded himself that they were supposed to be having fun, but it happened so automatically at times he barely noticed when he was doing it.

As they wound their way through a small throng of guests crowded near the bar, Bucky reached ahead for Alex's hand. Her fingers laced loosely between his, keeping a link between them as they worked their way through. They eventually made it to the table Steve spotted, which proved to be perfect; far enough away from the stage so they could talk, but still immersed in the music.

As Steve and Alex took their seats, Bucky motioned as if he was about to head to the bar. "First round's on me! What's everyone want?"

"Surprise us" both Steve and Alexis replied in unison, followed by a laugh.

"Jinx! You owe me the next beer" Alex said with a good-humored nudge.

Steve's brow folded. "Jinx?"

Alex forgot he was just as old as Bucky when it came to this sort of thing. She leaned in and explained the rules of jinxing someone, only to have Steve seem utterly impressed such a thing even existed. She patted him on the knee. "Don't worry Rogers. The more we hang out like this, the more I'll teach you."

He chuckled. "Yeah? Is that a promise?"

"Absolutely." Turning to face him, Alex gave Steve an appreciative smile. "It's actually really nice that we're getting to hang out like this. Everything else we do is so serious all the time, so I'm really glad you decided to come out. And who knows - maybe I'll even learn a few things from you tonight."

The bashfulness in Steve's eyes blossomed as he lowered his gaze. "You're kind, Markos. But I agree. We should do this more often."

The way he was smiling then was reminiscent of the pre-serum Steve Alex had seen in the Exhibit. This boyish side he had was something she so rarely got to see. Sitting there next to him, she really saw a youthful twinkle in his eyes; the same twinkle that had been evident in so many of the clips and pictures she viewed at the Exhibit, even despite their black and white nature. Alex started to have that surreal feeling again where she had to pinch herself to remember she was sitting alongside Captain America; her fellow Avenger, her coworker, and her friend.

"Did James tell you I went to see your Exhibit?" Alex asked, curious if it had come up at all.

"No! Did you really?" His look of surprise turned quickly into acceptance. "Aw no, here come the jokes..."

"No jokes, I swear! ...although I _did _sample the Capsicle."

Steve's face sunk into one of his hands. "You did not."

"I did." Alex wiggled an eyebrow at him. "And it was _delicious_."

They erupted into laughter, with Steve shaking his head and Alex giving him yet another playful nudge.

Eventually, Steve's laughter eased into more of a chuckle. "You're something else, Markos."

She smiled. "Thank you." With this, she leveled with him in both expression and body language. Her laughter simmered; replaced by a warm smile and a look of appreciation for the man sitting beside her. "All joking aside, it was surreal to be there. To view all the different chapters of your story, to see what you came from to what you've become." She shook her head, still amazed by everything.

"Well thank you" Steve said, genuinely humbled by her words.

Alex noticed the far-off look in his eyes as he gazed across the bar. She looked around, seeing the various pairs of eyes turned their direction. Many were women, but also a few men; all uttering hushed words and stealing quick glances. She wasn't sure if it was because they fascinated by the presence Captain America in their bar, or if they were truly interested in the soul who sat next to her. Most likely, they weren't. In her limited experience, Alex guessed they were either charmed by Steve's good looks and powerful body, or were just enamored by the fact that an Avenger sat amongst them. It made her feel a little bad, because Steve was more than his flawless exterior.

She glanced beside her to see him sharing a smirk with her. "You're pretty popular" she teased.

He shook his head. "Not sure about that."

"I bet those three women by the bar would love to talk to be sitting where I am right now." She leaned into his shoulder and pointed with her chin. "And maybe that guy sitting alone by the stage, too."

Steve's smirk grew. "You're kind to think so, but I'm sure they just recognize me. Nothing more."

Alex wished Steve wasn't so humble. She knew he was uncomfortable whenever he was out and about; mostly because Bucky had told her more than once that Steve felt like he didn't fit in. She could see the truth in that now. It made her realize a part of Steve would probably always live back in the 40s, staying locked in the past where he felt he really belonged. Which reminded her...

"You know who else I got to see at the Exhibit?"

Steve's eyes panned away from the bar and back to her. "Who?"

"Your girl." Alex smiled. "The one you always stare at before we head out on a mission." She watched at Steve's entire demeanor softened. His eyes grew rounder; fuller somehow. The tense posture he'd had also eased. It was the first time Alex ever brought up Peggy, but she wasn't surprised to see a little bit of the light inside Steve rekindle at her mentioning. "I don't know as much about her and you, obviously - but what I do know makes me wish I had known her."

There was tenderness in Steve's smile. "I think she would have liked you."

"Really?"

He nodded. "You're exactly the type of woman she would have respected greatly."

"That's quite a compliment" Alex replied, sitting up a little straighter. "I'd like to think so, too." She saw Steve's full mouth turn a little downward as his memories took him back to some place and time she would never know about. She reached over and placed a hand on his knee, squeezing gently. "It's easy to see why you two were together," she said, hoping to make him smile again. "Two strong people, two big hearts. You were in it together the whole way."

Steve looked at her then, and something changed within his expression. A hint of knowledge lay there, and the smile that returned to his mouth looked at if he knew something she didn't. "You know who you sound like?"

Alex's brow winkled. "Who?"

"Bucky." Now it was Steve who nudged her. "He's always telling me how you two are each other's teammate."

Warmth spread through Alex hearing that. "So he told you that, huh?"

"I think it's great. _And _fitting." Steve's smile returned in full force. "All teasing aside, Alex: I really am glad you went to the Exhibit...If only just to see Bucky. I know his memory is getting better all the time, but I'm sure it was fascinating to learn a little more about those pieces of his past he doesn't remember just yet."

"I couldn't agree more." Alex shifted her gaze across the bar, searching for her tall, dark-haired soldier. He was handing over money as the bartender handed him back three pint glasses. Her lips formed a subconscious smile as Bucky headed back to the table. "I think the most shocking thing I saw was his short hair" she replied, eyes turning back to Steve.

Steve laughed. "Yeah, he was pretty clean-cut back in those days." He leaned in closer to Alex as Bucky neared the table. "If there's ever anything you need to know about _this one_..." He tipped his chin at Bucky. "...it just so happens that I have a fantastic memory when it comes to some of his more legendary moments in time."

Bucky just barely overheard what Steve said as he set the three pint glasses on the table. "Are you talking about me?" He slid their pints towards them and then settled in next to Alex.

"We were, but Steve just reminded me of something _legendary _I'd like to know more about." Alex turned and leaned an arm on the table. "What's this story I heard about you jumping off a pier in Atlantic City?"

Bucky lifted his pint glass to his smiling mouth as he watched as Steve's eyes go blank for a second or two. When he realized what Alex was referring to and the memory became clear, his gaze locked onto Bucky's.

"You _remembered_?"

"One of few I was happy to remember, yes." Bucky sat a little taller. "I don't know about you babe, but I'd love to hear his version of the story I told you."

"Oh without a _doubt _I need to hear his version," Alex said with a slap of her hand on the table. "So let's hear it, Rogers!"

Steve accepted the challenge with a long inhale. He settled into his seat, took a drink of beer, and then began his version of his and Bucky's Atlantic City trip.

* * *

Oxana Kovalenko, also known as Claudia Burke around S.H.I.E.L.D., sat in her home and waited for her agents to report back once the extraction of the Winter Soldier was completed. She had equipped them with everything they needed to see the job was done cleanly and successfully, but one thing sat heavy on her mind: the presence of Steve Rogers and Alexis Markos.

Rogers was one thing. He could be manipulated. He would stand down if his friend was threatened in the right manner. There was wiggle room when it came to Captain America.

The woman, however. She was a wild card.

Kovalenko disliked Markos from the moment she saw her. She was too proud. Too sure of herself. She walked into their first meeting at the Triskelion with an unnatural amount of confidence. When the young woman told her story about her and Barnes stumbling upon Gribinov, Kovalenko could sense her vitriol for Hydra.

While she was trained to keep a cool demeanor, it had been difficult in that first meeting. Years of dedication to the practice of deception so she could live among the enemy was her _expertise_. She lived her entire life as someone else in order to serve those she loved and to prove her loyalty to Hydra. She was proud of that. She was proud of her hard work and all that it had gotten her and her organization.

But when that young bitch with a fearless spirit and eyes like fire walked into the meeting and began telling her story, her decades of training had been challenged.

Kovalenko needed Barnes in her protection for reasons dictated by Hydra, but she _wanted _Alexis Markos exclusively for her own reasons.

She'd encountered women like Markos before, and she'd _broken _them. She hadn't gotten to where she was now without that talent, either.

And yet, the most puzzling part about the woman was her attachment to Barnes. She almost laughed when she heard the woman and Barnes were romantically linked. The mere thought of someone _loving _that thing! Who in their right mind could do that? Kovalenko had grown up around the Winter Soldier,watching his insane amount of talent in the art of killing grow with time and plenty of manipulation. She watched him grow from a scared boy to an obedient machine twisted and bent to the rule of Hydra. He was mindless, weak, and always would be. He was nothing more than a dented sword that simply needed to be resharpened.

If it was the last thing she did, Kovalenko would be the one to resharpen that sword, and she'd make the bitch Markos watch.

A crackle of white noise brought Oxana out of her rampant thoughts.

_"We're in position_."

Oxana depressed the button on her comm unit. "How long?"

Another crackle. _"Ten minutes."_

"Good." She paused, then pressed the button again. "See what you can do about the woman while you're at it."

_"You want us to extract her as well?"_

"Not yet," Oxana said. "Disable her. Specifically, her hands."

_"Her hands?" _repeated the operative.

Oxana's mouth tightened. "Yes. Disable those at all costs."


	13. Chapter 12

When the clock struck 11 pm, Steve, Bucky, and Alex were several beers in. Every story told between the three of them got a little more exaggerated, a little more ridiculous, and their laughter got a little bit louder. Even in the back of the bar, their laughter lifted over the music as Steve told Alexis another animated story from his and Bucky's teenage years. This time, Bucky was the highlight of the story, and Bucky gave him shit every chance he could throughout the tale. Alex simply sat there between the two of them, enjoying every minute of it.

The three of them probably looked a sight to anyone who was paying attention: two bulky, strong men flanking a smaller woman who was wearing gloves inside. Much to her pleasant surprise, Bucky left his metal hand uncovered. Alex knew this was a big move for him, even though most of the time he kept that hand under the table. Throughout the night, she made sure to sneak her hand beneath the table and take the metal in her own, if only to let him know he shouldn't be ashamed. Each time she wove her fingers between his, his eyes would meet hers and a tiny smile would appear.

As Steve's latest story came to an end, Alex drained the last of her beer and set the glass down with a heavy _clunk_. "Next round's on me, boys."

"Nahhhh, c'mon Markos - you don't have to," Steve argued as she rose from the table.

Alex waved a hand. "Shut it, Rogers. You guys have bought everything so far." She walked past Bucky's side of the table and squeezed his shoulder. "Same kind of beer for you, babe?"

"Same will do. Thanks, doll."

"Same for you, Cap?"

Steve acquiesced with a nod.

"Alright, I'll be right back." She leaned down and kissed Bucky briefly before heading for the bar.

Once she was gone, Bucky was all smiles when he met Steve's gaze. "What?!"

Steve saw the pride in his best friend's eyes. "Nothing! You two are just..."

"...Made for each other?"

"Yes, actually."

Bucky laughed. "If the PDA bothers you-"

"No such thing, Buck." Steve spun the base of his pint glass slowly between his fingers. "It's actually been really nice hanging with the both of you like this."

Bucky was surprised, in a good way, to hear Steve say so. Several times over the past couple of hours, Bucky actually felt like he was among family. He'd forgotten how nice it was to relax with people he really enjoyed being around. His memory was still shittier than he would like, but he honestly wasn't sure there were even moments in his recent past where he got to do what he was doing now with Steve and Alex. Maybe it was another moment of progress for him; something to jot down in his notebook when he got back to New York. Or maybe it was just because he was with people he loved. People who, thankfully, loved him in return.

Feeling the emotions of the moment, Bucky raised his glass. "Here's to time spent with good friends who feel like family."

Steve's smile widened. "I'll drink to that _any _day."

The pair downed what remained of their beer, which left Bucky scanning the floor for Alex. His eyes wandered over the crowd and the band before settling on the mass of people clamoring for drinks at the bar. He spotted Alex as she waited, her smaller frame pressed up against the wooden rail and waiting patiently for the bartender to make his way down to her.

And then he saw a tall man in business attire sidle up next to her. He looked far too young for how expensive his clothes appeared. Bucky guessed he was another of DC's uber important, uber rich businessmen; too young for his own good and his own power. It didn't help that his short dirty-blonde hair framed a face that was easily punchable for how arrogant it looked. As he approached the bar and stood next to Alexis, his eyes roamed her body; pausing a little too long around her backside before his face broke into a smile.

Bucky's fingers tightened around the glass in his hand.

His eyes stayed locked on the man, watching as he said something to Alex. She said something in return, but it was curt. Her attention went back to the bartender, but the man slid in closer. When Bucky saw his hand brush against Alex's arm, he pushed back from the table.

Steve's eyes followed him. "Where ya going?"

Bucky left without answering. He wove through those separating him from the bar, his gazed fixed on Alex the entire time. Heat rose into his face as something possessive awoke inside him. He watched the man lean in closer to Alexis, his amused smile growing. Alex backed away from him, her discomfort evident on her face. When the man didn't listen, Bucky nearly lost it.

He reached the bar and pushed up behind Alex until his body was flush against hers. Towering over her from behind, he slid one hand around her waist protectively as his eyes locked on to the man in front of them. "Is there a problem here?"

The man looked between Bucky and the hand now secure around the woman's waist. His eyes shifted to the woman, whose smile was now proudly on display. "I don't see a wedding band" he told her, leaning against the bar. "So as far as I can tell, he doesn't own you."

Alex felt the growl Bucky uttered as it vibrated against her back. She glanced back to see his eyes had turned wild; their beautiful shade now dark and threatening. "Don't listen to him, James."

"James, huh?" The man fussed with the cuff links on the wrists of his button down. "Let me ask you a question: what do you do for a living, James? You don't look like you're much of a...how do I phrase this...much of a _business_man." His eyes took in Bucky's entire image with a look of disgust.

Alex turned towards Bucky and pressed a hand against his chest. His heart was like a hammering drum beneath her palm. "Come on, let's go back to our table."

Every instinct inside Bucky told him to fight the man. He deserved a metal fist in the face to rearrange his perfect teeth for disrespecting Alexis, but he tried his best to let it go. When Alex placed her hand near his heart, it was the best thing that could have happened. Her touch alone calmed his boiling blood enough to turn away from the arrogant asshole.

"You just gonna let her lead you away like that?" the man called after them. "Too pussy whipped to even say anything, aren't you?" He began laughing loud enough to pull the attention of a few others around the bar. "You know what? Give me one good reason why your _bitch _shouldn't leave with me tonight instead of your weak ass-"

Bucky wheeled around so fast, Alex never stood a chance at stopping him. She heard the _crack _of metal colliding with bone and watched as the man was sent flying back into a table. His body tumbled against the wood, knocking over glasses and bottles in the process.

Everything from that moment forward was chaos. A clamor arose from nearby patrons as they jumped back from the fallen man and the table. Voices grew louder around the bar as others laughed and applauded the sight. The music began to fade as the band noticed what was happening.

Beyond the darkened room, Alex sensed the bouncer heading their direction as the man Bucky knocked into the tables began to bleed from his nose.

"YOU'RE OUTTA HERE" the bouncer yelled to Bucky. He reached down and grabbed the back of the fallen man's collar, helping him upright from the table. "You too! You're out! Both of you get the hell out of here!"

Bucky turned to Alex, eyes burning with suppressed rage. "Meet me outside."

Alex reached for his hand but he'd already begun to walk away. She watched as the bouncer walked the other man to the door, shoving him forcefully up the stairs and out into the street. With a growing sense of confusion and helplessness, Alex went back to the table. Steve was standing there, watching as the chaos inside the bar began to dwindle. His troubled gaze met hers as she neared.

"Is he alright?"

"Which one?!" Alex asked.

"Bucky."

She grabbed her purse. "He's fine. Not sure about the other guy. Not sure I care, either." She turned to leave but Steve grabbed her arm, halting her gently. She turned to find his expression drawn with concern.

"Hey - are you alright?"

She offered a tight smile. "Yeah." With her chin, she motioned towards the exit. "C'mon. He said he'd meet us outside." She slung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and felt a heaviness like lead drop further down into her stomach. _So much for a nice night out_.

She passed by the bouncer without a word, but heard Steve apologize to him for the commotion. Steve was a better person than she was, that was for sure. Her emotions were a mix of disappointment and anger, though she really didn't know who it was directed at. Maybe the bouncer, maybe the asshole who started all of this, or maybe no one at all. All she felt was anger that their night had been cut short, and particularly for the reason _why _it had been cut short.

Climbing the stairs up to street level, Alex inhaled the cold air that hit her face the second she stepped outside. She scanned her surroundings for Bucky, expecting to find his large form standing there waiting. Instead, the sidewalks were bare. She saw plenty of other pedestrians, but didn't see him.

Steve came up and stood beside her, looking up and down the length of the street. "Did he say where we should meet?"

Alex barely heard his question from the fear welling inside her. She felt her powers coming to life with a thundering in her ears and the sensation of a thousand sparks igniting through her body. Her powers were trying to warn her; in that weird way they always had her entire life. She began walking down the street, looking for Bucky. "Where is he, Steve?" She heard his footsteps quickening behind her.

"Whenever he's pissed, he tends to go for walks..."

Alex shook her head. Not that she didn't believe Steve, but her body was telling her otherwise. "Something doesn't feel right." She scanned above her to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, feeling more and more like the guy in the bar wasn't just any ordinary patrons all. "Something's wrong. He said he'd meet us and he's not here. He never breaks his word to me, not even on stuff like this."

Steve started to feel it too. "Why don't we split up - you take one side of the street, I'll take the other?"

"First thing's first." She slipped off her gloves and held up her hands, palms facing out. "May I? Just in case this turns ugly?"

He grinned. "Sure."

"I'll make it quick." She locked her hands onto his chest and blocked out the sounds of the street. White light flickered between them, connecting her hands to Steve's chest where she drew from his powers. She felt her body composition transition from the inside-out, and it took less than 10 seconds to complete a full transfer. When she opened her eyes, she felt invincible. "Done."

Steve shook his head, still amazed by what she could do. "You good to go?"

"Never been better" she said with a nod. "Let's go."

They took off at a jog; Steve heading across the street to check the other side while Alex checked hers. She could feel similarities between Steve's characteristics inside her body, just as Bucky's had back on the island. All the same features were at her disposal: super human strength and agility, enhanced reflexes, a seemingly bottomless pit of energy, and crystal clear eyesight. Now, whenever she gazed up into the shadows on top of the surrounding buildings, it was like night and day. She was able to easily spot details her regular eyes couldn't and see through the shadows that had been so murky to her just minutes ago.

And that's when she saw them: three figures hidden above, running along the rooftops and following Steve from above. Alex was about to yell across the street, but Steve beat her to it. He was waving at her and shouting from near an alleyway before disappearing down into its darkness.

Glancing back up at the rooftop, two of the three figures - dressed in all black with rifles in hand - jumped from the building down into the alley where Steve vanished.

Alex uttered a curse and sprinted across the street, blowing past three cars in a flash of white light. She bounded down the alley in time to see the familiar glint of metal from Bucky's arm, the whine of its mechanical movement whistling between punches marked by heavy grunts. Steve had joined him, and both of the men moved as one solid unit. Their backs to one another, they threw matched punches, parried, and kicked in unified motion; two soldiers who'd done this a thousand times together and could mirror the other as if they were of the same body.

Above the alley, shouting could be heard. Alex turned her attention upward, trying to figure out a way to get up there to take those other men out. She spotted a dumpster and a fire escape that wound ever upward behind it. She was about to make a run for it, but the sound of bullets ricocheting off stone and brick near her head caused her to scream and duck.

Bucky spun around at the sound of her scream. "Alex!?"

"ABOVE!" she shouted, trying to run towards the dumpster as shots rained down from the roof.

Bucky never hesitated. He ran out into the middle of the alley, putting himself between the enemy and Alex so she could move to safety. With his metal palm outstretched, he blocked each of the bullets that they tried to aim at her. One by one the bullets hit his hand, falling onto the street in a spray of sparks. He moved along with Alex, always in front of her, using either the meat of his arm or his palm to block the shots. It was enough to buy her the distance to get to the foot of the fire escape, and then Bucky filed in behind her.

Crouching in the shadows behind the dumpster, Bucky placed his hands on either side of Alex's face. "Are you okay?"

She loved him for asking. "Yes."

His eyes lifted to the rooftop. "You got those two up there?"

Alex nodded and stood. "Can I get a lift!?"

Bucky's intense expression broke into a smirk for just a second. He stood and cupped his hands near his knees. "Be careful."

Alex stepped into his hands and sprung upward at the same time Bucky threw his entire strength into tossing her. With their combined strength and the power behind Bucky's arm, Alex was able to leap almost the entire distance to the rooftop. She swung off one of the iron railings of the fire escape, using that last push of momentum to fling her the rest of the way onto the roof. She landed on her feet, hands braced in front of her. When she stood to her full height, the two men holding the rifles stared at her in surprise.

"Hello, fellas" she said with a grin. She held up her hands, showing them the glow of her white light that flickered around her. "I have a few questions I'm gonna need answering."

One of the two men lifted his rifle. "That's her! That's the one!"

Alex had only a second to react before they began firing.

_That's her. That's the one._

So they knew who she was. Which meant someone _had _sent them.

The _ping ping ping _of bullets showered the HVAC system Alex ducked behind, running in a squatting position in order to draw them away from the scene down in the alley. She rolled behind a exhaust vent and waited, listening with her enhanced sense of hearing. The bullets stopped, but steady, calm footsteps vibrated off the metal roof. With Steve's borrowed skills, Alex could feel them as if they were right behind her.

She ducked quietly behind another HVAC vent and peered above the ledge. The men were following her, but she had enough distance on them to try and get herself some kind of defense system.

Looking around for anything she could turn into a weapon, Alex tried to think like Steve.

_I need a shield. _

Remaining crouched, she kept close to the air-handling unit and wound her way towards the end. Its lengthy rectangular shape allowed her to get a little more distance between her and the two men following while also remaining concealed. When she reached the venting unit at the end, she quickly assessed which piece she could use to her advantage, deciding on the the large overhanging metal air hood. She placed both hands on the air hood and yanked. The overhanging metal edge buckled at the edges, the screws popping free like loose buttons. With one final pull, she yanked the panel completely off. Steve's strength made tearing off a metal panel like tearing off a piece of paper from a tablet.

_Thank you, Rogers, _Alex thought. _I owe you another beer_.

She took off at a sprint and headed directly for the two men. They raised their rifles, and Alex raised her makeshift shield. She absorbed three bullets before she wound the panel back and flung it as hard as she could straight at them. One dodged out of the way, but the other wasn't so lucky. He felt backwards at the force of the panel, the sharp edge cutting a deep gash through his bulletproof vest.

Alex leapt over the fallen man and grabbed the panel and spun, flinging it at the remaining opponent. By the time her boots even hit the roof, the panel had knocked him backward. She turned and sprinted back to where the panel had landed. She lifted the metal once more and spun in the air, flinging it with precision one more time as the first man tried to regain his stance. The panel collided with the man's neck in a spray of blood.

Now that she only had one opponent to deal with, Alex walked calmly over to him. With his rifle knocked far enough out of reach, she felt safe to approach as watched as he struggled to sit up. He'd gotten the wind knocked out of him from the collision with the metal, and it must have hit in just the right spot because he was clutching at his chest as he attempted to lift himself up.

"It'd be best if you just lay there and remain still" Alex told him as she came forward. "You're still useful to me alive, for the time being."

Most of the man's features were hidden beneath the protection of his face mask, but Alex could still see his dark eyes as they lowered from her face to her hands.

"Who sent you?" Alex demanded.

"Fuck you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that any way to speak to a lady?"

The man snarled. _"FUCK. YOU."_

"What do you want with us?" she continued. "Answer me, so I don't have to use _these." _She held up her hands and saw his eyes grow larger.

He shrunk away from her, pushing himself backward with limp legs. One of his hands still clutched at his chest, his breathing labored by some internal injury she didn't care about.

"Who was the guy in the bar?" She took a step towards him. "Was he sent to antagonize Barnes?"

He still wouldn't answer. He continued pushing with one leg, sliding backward along the roof and away from Alex. She followed calmly, waiting until he backed himself into the rectangular air-handling unit. When he came to a stop and could go no further, she crouched down until they were eye level.

"Obviously this was a set-up." Her voice was calmer now; controlled. She needed to keep control. It didn't matter how angry or afraid or vengeful she felt at what was happening...she had to maintain control.

Still, he remained defiant. He said nothing, just stared at her hands as her white light swirled around them.

Alex sighed. "Have it your way, then." She locked her hand onto the man's face as his scream reverberated off her palm, and then she closed her eyes.

* * *

Bucky and Steve finished off the men in the alley not long after Alex landed on the roof, and it took every once of control for Bucky not to focus on the sound of bullets being fired from above. He and Steve had their hands full as it was and Alex could hold her own, but a seed of worry lay heavy in the back of his mind as long as he was separated from her.

When they defeated the last of their attackers, Bucky stood a moment and caught his breath. He wiped his hair back from his face, feeling the chill in the air finally hit him thanks to how sweaty he was. He cast a glance upward at the rooftop for any sign of Alex, but he saw nothing but darkness. Turning back to Steve, he watched him search the pockets of the men they'd laid out on the pavement. "Anything?" he asked through labored breaths.

Steve shook his head, digging in another of the opponent's pockets. "Nothing."

Bucky walked over to one of the figures he'd knocked unconscious and nudged his limp body over with his boot. He crouched down and lifted one of the handguns that remained holstered to his waist and inspected it closely. With dismay, he recognized the make and model of the pistol and his heart sank. "Steve, come look at this."

Steve noticed the frown that was on Bucky's face and hurried over. "What is it?"

"Recognize this?" He handed him the gun and stood.

Steve turned the pistol over in his hands, scanning for something he couldn't see. "No. Should I?"

"It's a VIS Pistol." His hands went to his hips as he stared at the barrel with disgust. "Members of the Polish Underground use them heavily. Not something you see here in the States very often, if ever."

"_Polish Underground?_"

Bucky nodded. "Emphasis on _Polish_." He watched as Steve's eyes opened wide with surprise and recognition.

"So you think the Polish Branch has something to do—"

A shrill scream tore through the night. It was the sound of a woman's voice in pain, echoing off the buildings around them and coming from somewhere up above.

Bucky and Steve spun, eyes pointed at the rooftops. Fear made every muscle in Bucky's body halt. Time froze, and so did the air in his lungs.

_No. Not her.  
__Please don't let it be her._

There was another scream, and when Bucky heard the pain behind it he almost collapsed. He shot towards the fire escape, legs burning from adrenaline and dread flooding his system. Horrible thoughts filled his mind as the first finger of doubt tried to inch its way inside his heart.

With a jump, he locked his metal arm onto the first rung of the fire escape stairs and began to climb. Somewhere behind, Steve was calling for him, but he didn't listen. He _couldn't _listen. Fear blocked out every other sound except the one coming from the roof. He had to get to Alexis. Nothing else mattered.

When he reached the final railing, Bucky flung himself up and over and landed on the roof. He spotted Alexis right away, but could see now what his fear had already told him. She was hurt, and hurt badly. She held one of her hands at the wrist as blood gushed from a deep wound in her palm. Her braid was ragged; her hair loose all about her beautiful face that was now contorted by pain. Her eyes met his from across the roof and there was a blankness there that scared Bucky more than the blood.

She moved her mouth as if to say something, but then collapsed.

Fear clamped about Bucky's throat like a vice as he yelled her name. He ran to her, kneeling next to her limp body as he carefully gathered her into his arms. "Alexis!? Can you hear me?" He cradled her against his chest, searching her body for more wounds. There was only one, and it was the gash that had sliced her palm. It was deep; easily down to the bone and outlined by an angry, jagged edge. The sight of it turned his stomach. Never before had the sight of a wound made him sick until that moment.

He pushed back some of Alex's hair and cupped her cheek. "Hang on, darling," he pleaded. "Just hang on for me, alright? I've got you."

Some distance away from where Alex had fallen, a man cloaked in dark attire began to limply crawl to safety. Bucky heard the rustle of his movement and spotted him pushing slowly towards the edge of the roof. In one of his hands was a serrated switchblade knife stained with blood. A whole new level of rage erupted within Bucky's chest at the sight of it, and a need for vengeance began to replace the fear that had taken control of him.

Steve finally arrived on the roof and was running towards them, his quick footfalls drawing Bucky's attention back to the present. When he saw the wound on Alex's hand, all the color drained from his face. "What happened?"

"Help me." Bucky carefully lowered Alex onto her back. "We have to stop the bleeding." He lifted his henley up over his head, revealing a white undershirt beneath. He tore the henley in half, then tore one of those pieces in half. He took one of the strips of cloth and began to twist it into a tourniquet. "Your belt - I need it."

Steve removed it without hesitation. He watched as Bucky wrapped the piece of torn shirt around Alex's upper arm, twisting it and fastening it with skill. He tied the ends of the tourniquet around Steve's belt and used the rigid leather to help twist the fabric around Alex's arm even tighter. Looping the rest of the leather into a tightened band, he effectively ensured the tourniquet would remain in place until they got her to safety. He used another strip of his shirt to wrap around the wound itself, tying it securely.

"Take her" Bucky told him, his voice uncommonly low. "_And call Fury._"

Steve lifted Alex carefully into his arms, but his eyes stayed locked on Bucky. "What are you doing?"

Bucky scanned the roof until he spotted the man still crawling weakly away. "I have to take care of something." With the calm expression of a killer, he walked away from Steve and went over to the man's discarded rifle. He lifted it, loaded the barrel, and sighted the nose. Fear no longer gripped at his chest and his heart slowed to an even beat, finding new strength in his need to avenge Alexis. He closed the distance between him and the man until he was standing over him.

With frightened eyes, the man looked up at Bucky and raised the hand holding the knife as if to block the inevitable. When Bucky saw a flash of bright red along the edge of the blade, he knew it had been him who hurt Alexis.

The man began to tremble. "Hail Hyd—"

Bucky raised the rifle and pulled the trigger, putting a bullet square between the man's eyes. The body jumped at the force, pieces of skull and brain spraying back against the edge of the roof, and then fell lifeless.

Bucky tossed the rifle at the body and walked away.

* * *

It was past midnight when Fury got the call from Steve. He was in bed but hadn't been able to sleep, staring at the lights beyond his bedroom window as he watched the minutes and hours tick by. Maybe it was meant to be that he couldn't sleep, because the urgency in Rogers' voice had been alarming. The call was short, but he gathered all he needed to from Rogers in just a few sentences. There'd been an alleged set-up. Barnes had been the target, but Markos had sustained the damage. And, from what it sounded like, needed medical attention fast.

As Fury rushed to get himself ready and got into his SUV, he began to feel guilt for what had happened. He wished he hadn't told Hill to leave it up to Markos to reveal whether or not Kovalenko was trying to extract Barnes. He wished he hadn't been _right _to assume she would. He didn't know exactly what happened or what injuries she sustained, but Markos usually wasn't the one taking the brunt of misfortune on missions. Then again, this hadn't been a mission.

He blocked out any misgivings about what happened and drove to the meeting spot where Rogers told him they'd be waiting. One he picked the three of them up, he'd bring them back to his place. He'd been in this position enough times over the years to know he needed a healthy stock of medical supplies in his own home because of his position. Seems he was right again, and _again _he wished he wasn't.

When Fury pulled up to the location Rogers had told him, he initially didn't see anyone. It was a darkened alley near a small city park. No lights. No people. A good place to hide, but not if even _he _couldn't find them. He circled the block and came back around to find Rogers and Barnes standing near the curb with Markos in his arms. Her head lolled scarily as Barnes brought her towards the SUV; Steve helping to lift her gently into the back an onto the leather seats.

Steve climbed into the passenger seat. "We need somewhere with supplies that no one knows about."

Fury pulled the SUV away from the curb and headed north to where he'd just came. "My place ought to work for now." He glanced in the rear view mirror. "How bad is she, Barnes?"

"Bad enough."

Fury could see the worry in Barnes' expression and could hear it in his voice. Lines had formed around his eyes where none had been before. It made the quiet soldier appear more vulnerable; something Fury wasn't used to seeing in Barnes.

"We'll take care of her" he said, eyes still focused on Barnes in the mirror. "She'll be alright."

Barnes appeared to acknowledge him, but his attention remained on Markos.

"What do you know about what happened?" Steve questioned.

Fury didn't want to have this discussion. Not here, not yet. "How am I supposed to know when you've only given me a sentence worth of description?"

"The men we fought were using Polish-made weapons."

Barnes looked up, his blue eyes flashing in the rear view mirror. "Not just any Polish weapons. _Polish Underground _weapons."

Fury could see Barnes' strong jaw stiffen. This was the kind of news he'd been hoping for, though he hadn't expected to get it from the two soldiers. He pulled the SUV onto the highway and hit the gas. "I see."

"Do you?" Rogers countered. "Was it those men you showed us at our meeting?"

"Not the men. No."

Steve stared at him. "Then who?"

"Their ringleader." Fury's expression remained unmoving. "Claudia Burke. Polish S.H.I.E.L.D. branch division officer."

"_What!?" _Barnes' face twisted with anger. "What the actual fuck, Fury?"

"So you knew?" Steve stared at him. "You knew there was a risk here and you didn't tell us?"

Fury took in a deep, controlled breath before answering. "I _didn't _know. I still don't know. I can only guess based on what you just told me. That being said, the Polish weapons point to what Agent Hill and I have been working on. But without Markos awake and able to tell us if she found anything out before her injury, then I can't say for sure."

Steve turned his gaze out the window and uttered a frustrated grunt. Barnes said nothing, but his expression said everything. The heavily injured Avenger sitting in the back of his SUV wasn't just Barnes' concern; it was Fury's as well. He needed Alexis awake because he needed to ask her what she knew. If she had the chance to get answers before whatever happened to her, then that would be all he needed to move this thing forward. Plus, he cared for her. Yes, he knew attachment only led to trouble in this field, but he cared about all his Avengers in some way. Markos was no exception.

"Is that what the _stay vigilant _warning was about?" Barnes demanded. His eyes found Steve's in the rear view mirror. "Alexis knew. She had to have. She questioned it from the beginning."

This made Fury curious. "What did she question?"

"_Everything_. She always has."

Fury turned the wheel and pulled off the highway, keeping an eye not just on Barnes in the mirror, but for any additional tails that might be following them. All he saw, however, was anger simmering beneath the surface of Barnes' stern gaze. "I know she has. She confided that much in me."

Silence settled heavy inside the SUV. Everyone's minds remained on something different, and nothing further was spoken the rest of the drive. Fury pulled up to his gated residence and passed his credentials to the automated security system. He pulled the SUV to the front of his home and told Rogers and Barnes to take Alexis to the upstairs spare room. From here, he parked the vehicle in his garage, but not without making a call to Agent Hill first. He hated to wake her, but she needed informed of what happened. He briefed her quickly and told her he'd meet her in the morning.

The next call he made was to Tony Stark.

"Nicholas J. Fury" came the billionaire's voice. Even for the late hour, Stark seemed as alert and feisty as ever.

"I don't have a lot of time here, Stark, so I'll cut to the chase. Rogers, Barnes, and Markos were ambushed by a team of assassins that we believe are linked to the man Barnes killed on your island. Markos has been severely injured and will need Banner's technology to heal what's left of her hand."

There was a moment's pause before Tony spoke. "How bad?"

"Bad enough" Fury said, repeating Barnes' words. "Lost a lot of blood, but that part we can help stabilize here. It's her, uh...her powers...that I'm worried about."

"Understood. I'll notify Banner. You think she'll need the Cradle?"

"More than likely, yes."

"We're on it."

"Thanks, Stark."

"Hey, how's Barnes holding up?"

Fury lowered his eyes. "It's been touch and go. That's why I want you to ready the Cradle, just in case."

"I'll make sure everything's ready to go then. Good luck down there."

The call ended and Fury stared at his phone. He was positive Markos would come out of this fine, but the damage might be more extensive than any of them were prepared for. With the Regeneration Cradle back at the Avengers compound, her chances of re-grafting skin tissue would enhance her chances of success...but it was the nerve damage that worried him. No one really knew how Markos' powers worked or where they came from. She'd told Fury months ago, long before he recruited her, that it had always been inside her. Somewhere deep, always lying in waiting, and something she could access whenever she needed. But she never explained any more than that. Hell, maybe _she _didn't even know.

But her hands were her tools. Steve had his shield. Barnes had his arm. Markos needed her hands.

But if one of them was mangled beyond successful repair...

Fury shook his head and left his worries where they were meant to be: somewhere other than his mind. He left the SUV with one hope and one goal, and that was to ensure Markos would wake up.


	14. Chapter 13

Pain.  
Nothing but pain.  
Throbbing.  
Consuming.

Every heartbeat was like a hammer, pounding out a rhythm of searing heat that centered around Alex's palm. If she moved her hand at all, it felt like it was tearing from the inside-out. The pounding grew more intense as it traveled further up her arm until it reached her chest, jarring her awake from her shock-induced slumber.

She opened her eyes; weakly at first, her lids struggling to flutter open. They came slowly into focus, adjusting painfully to the dim light of her surroundings. When she blinked again, she was unsure of where she was. Panic flooded her chest as she tried to move her arms, but only one responded.

That's when she remembered what happened, and she screamed in terror.

"I'm here, Alexis! I'm here. Shhhh, it's okay."

_James_.

Her eyes struggled to focus on his face. He was there, but she couldn't quite see him. She felt his large hands on her shoulders, guiding her gently back against the pillows. "What...where am I..."

"Steve!"

His call was frantic; his energy scattered. It made Alex feel woozy, like her stomach and her mind were teetering on the edge of consciousness. "James..."

"I'm here, doll. You're gonna be alright."

"My hand..." She tried to reach out to him.

Her right hand.  
She couldn't feel it.  
She couldn't move it.

Bucky stroked her forehead and Alex felt his mouth connect with her temple; his lips warm and soothing. "You're gonna be okay. I'm not leaving you."

His breath was warm against her ear. She felt her eyes clouding with tears. "James..." Her breath caught in her throat. "James, what's wrong with my hand?"

"We're gonna get that fixed, doll. One thing at a time." He turned his head towards the door. "_STEVE._"

She felt so woozy. Her stomach ached, and the pain...the pain in her hand, radiating through her arm to her shoulder. "Oh God, _it hurts_, James." Her tears came on stronger, and she felt Bucky's hand wipe them away.

"I know, just hold on, okay? You've been so strong."

The features of his face started to fade further. Alex tried to reach for him again, but her hand wouldn't move. Her fingers felt impossibly numb, but the stabbing, jarring pain was ever-present in the center of her palm. Heaviness pulled at her, dragging her back into that dark place she'd just come from. She didn't want to go back there. She didn't want this pain.

Somewhere on the other side of the room, she felt the air shift. Someone else was there, but her eyesight continued to fade as the pain increased.

Muffled voices.  
Movement.  
She was slipping...slipping...

And then it was as if someone opened a door and let the air back into her lungs. Her consciousness came flooding back so quickly it knocked her body back to life, her eyes opening wide as she took in a huge gulp for air. Her eyesight cleared, and for the first time she looked around and saw not just Bucky there with her, but Steve and Fury too. And then the pain began to subside; beginning first in her shoulder and then melting downward toward the hand she couldn't quite feel.

Bucky sat in the chair next to the bed and took her good hand and caressed it with his own. Her eyes met his and it was like she was seeing them again for the first time. Large. Expressive. Worried. "_James_..."

Something flashed beneath the surface of his tight expression, easing the lines around his eyes. "Hey doll." His mouth lifted at the corner. "How do you feel?"

"Horrible." Alex looked at Steve and Fury standing nearby. "And like I wound up in some twisted version of Wizard of Oz."

Steve and Fury broke into smiles. "Good to have ya back, Markos" Steve told her.

She desperately wanted to adjust her position on the bed, but her whole right side was either a mixture of numbness or pain. Bucky was right there, though; caressing her head, pacifying her worries with his touch. "What happened? Where are we?" she asked.

"Still in DC" Bucky answered. "Currently at Fury's place. We just gave you an injection which should help the pain for a while."

"Something special I keep for just these occasions" Fury added, a twinkle present in his good eye.

Alex closed her eyes and sighed. The warm feeling traveled further down her arm to her hand and soothed her. She tried to catch her breath for a moment and relish in the small amount of relief she was feeling, but it felt like everyone in the room was waiting for her to talk.

Steve nudged Bucky in the shoulder. "We'll let you two be alone. If you need anything, we'll be downstairs." He gave a smile to Alexis before leaving, with Fury not far behind. He closed the door behind him, and then Bucky and Alex were alone.

Bucky scooted his chair closer to the bed, his hand never leaving Alex's head. He continued to caress her hair, his touch tender and steady. Since he was on her left side, the side she could feel and move, Alex reached out and stroked his chin, feeling the roughness of his short beard along her fingers. "Seems you saved me again, Soldier."

Bucky dipped his chin, humbled by her words. His eyes lifted with a bit of hesitance. "It didn't feel that way when I first found you. You had me scared there for a while."

If Alex let her mind wander back to the events, she knew she would find the answers about what happened and why she ended up in Fury's house with a hand that couldn't move. Fear tightened its hold on her chest when she thought about it. "It's bad, isn't it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing that can't be fixed." His thumb brushed along her hairline before slowly trailing down her temple. "We're heading back to New York soon. Banner's getting the Cradle ready to help stitch you back together."

_The Cradle_. The regrafting machine Alex wished she would never have to use as an Avenger. She supposed that had been a fool's wish; a wish only a new and inexperienced person would make. She wasn't new anymore, and she certainly wasn't invincible from needing to use a machine that would regrow her own cells. It was the _process_ that freaked her out. She knew how the Cradle had been manipulated during the events of Ultron, but Banner had restructured the machine after that whole deal and ensured it was better than ever. In the position she was in now, Alex was glad such a machine existed.

As if sensing her unease, Bucky leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. There was something in the way that Bucky kissed her that blocked every other thought from of her brain. Even now, his lips were unfairly soft; tender in a way that fed Alex's soul and gave her the strength she so desperately needed.

When Bucky pulled away, he pressed his forehead to hers as they'd done a thousand times before, but Alex felt an increased sense of gratitude through his energy.

"You're gonna be okay, Alexis" he whispered. "I promise."

"You've always been good at keeping promises." She gazed deeply into the turbulent ocean that were his eyes and smiled. "So I know you must be right."

Bucky kissed her again, and Alex opened her mouth to the feel of his tongue against hers. There was a promise in his kiss as well. There always was. Right now, Alex wanted him to repeat that promise over and over, quenching her need to feel him and feel the security he provided. Out of habit, she tried to raise her right hand to touch his face, but it remained numb and unmoving next to her side. Fear began to trickle back into her psyche. Flashes of the events on the roof came flooding back, filling her mind and bringing the return of anxiety back to her body.

Bucky felt the change in Alex's embrace and pulled away, studying the pain that was now written all over her face. "What is it?"

She shook her head, tears clouding her eyes. "I'm afraid to even look at it, James. I know it's bandaged right now, but..."

"You don't have to look. Focus on me, instead."

Alex let her tears fall when she saw Bucky's smile. It was fragile, but hopeful. Most of all, she could see the understanding behind it. Out of everyone in the entire group of Avengers, he knew what it was like to be in her position right now. His quiet strength was something Alex always admired about him, but now she wished she shared some of it. She was a storm of emotion, and Bucky was her rock.

He brushed away the tears that clung to the edge of her jaw. "If it would help to talk about what happened, I'll listen. Sooner or later, Fury's going to want to know what happened, but you don't have to talk about it now if it makes you feel worse."

Alex felt the burn of another round of fresh tears. "What happened to my hand...it's my fault." She saw the reflexive disappointment in Bucky's gaze and continued before he could comment. "I lost control on the roof. I read that man's mind and completely lost myself in what I saw. I went too deep into his memories and he used it against me. I don't know how, but..." She blinked and her tears tumbled down her cheeks. "Somehow, he could still move while I was locked on to him."

Hurt filled Bucky's gaze. "This is _not _your fault. Nothing that man did to you is your fault."

"But if I hadn't lost control-"

"-It's _not _your fault."

His voice was calm and his tone even. There wasn't an ounce of anger in it, only a need for her to understand what he was saying. He reached up and cupped her cheek, and Alex leaned willfully into his touch. The feel of Bucky's hands brought her to a place of comfort; a place she needed right now, despite the pain and numbness radiating in her right side. She closed her eyes, but all she could see were the visions inside that agent's mind. They flashed in a painful sequence of betrayal, the events of the evening driven by Claudia Burke.

The moment Alex had seen her in the agent's memory was the moment she began to lose herself to her power. Claudia was the woman who spoke to her about Bucky just the other day, posing as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s branch officers. She was the one who orchestrated the ambush and ordered those men to follow and provoke Bucky while they were out. To isolate him and try to take him down and to use any means necessary to do it. And worst of all, she'd seen Claudia ordering those agents to take _her _down as well.

That's when she'd lost control, and _that's_ when the agent had struck. He removed his knife and drove the blade as deep as he could through her palm and out the other side. The sheer agony had pulled her back from his memories and into the present moment faster than she was used to, and the force with which her powers slammed back into her chest hurt almost as much as the blade did. The agent slashed at her once more, cutting a deep gash near her fingers when she tried to block the awkward thrust of his knife.

In a moment of disbelief marked by immense pain, Alex hadn't really known what hit her. She didn't know how the agent had enough control to take his knife out and slash her free hand, but he'd done it. Never in her history of pulling, mirroring, or borrowing from an enemy had any of them ever fought back. For this very reason, she believed it was her fault for not paying attention. She could see no other reason besides that for what happened to her.

Bucky leaned in closer, his metal hand slipping around to cup the back of her neck. "Talk to me, Alexis. I can see you're inside your mind right now, but you don't need to be. Let me be the relief you need."

"You've already been that relief," she answered with a tired smile. The underlying strength in the metal hand on her neck was matched only by the gentleness with which Bucky used it. It always amazed her how he could turn something so distinctly lethal into something softer than even his flesh hand. It comforted her to feel it; it was a part of him that she loved and never feared.

Turning her head on the pillow, Alex took a moment to admire Bucky's handsome face. His rugged good looks were still droopy; a sign of that his lack of sleep may have been catching up to him. "How long have you been awake?"

The corner of his mouth lifted. "You don't need to worry about me."

"You're not allowed to worry about me if I'm not allowed to worry about you." There was a tiny flare of sass in her voice that made Bucky's smirk grow. She raised her good hand, letting her fingers play with the ends of his hair. He was blessed with the softest hair, no matter what he did (or didn't) do with it. It made her smile, if only a little.

"There's that smile I love so much." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Rest now while Fury's medicine is working. I'll be here with you the entire time, even if you fall asleep."

"But you need sleep, too-"

"-Shhh, baby, just rest."

He placed light kisses along her temple down to her cheek, and Alex was soon lulled into a restful state. She tried to focus on the way his hand felt on her neck or in her hair as he smoothed it back in a slow petting motion. It was the first bit of relief she felt since she awoke, and she didn't want it to end.

"I'll be here with you" Bucky repeated. "Whenever you wake up again, I'll be here."

Alex sighed and felt her chest becoming heavier and heavier. Her breathing slowed with each of Bucky's gentle strokes; his words like a protective blanket about her weary mind.

Bucky kept another of his promises as Alex fell asleep. He stayed with her and fought off his own tiredness to watch over her and make sure he was there when the next wave of pain and terror woke her.

He'd been in this position before, after all. No one had been with him then, so he swore Alexis would never have to feel the way he had all those decades ago.

* * *

An hour later, Steve climbed the stairs to the spare bedroom where Alex was resting. He listened outside the door for voices, but heard nothing. He lightly rapped on the door with his knuckle. "You guys alright in there? Need anything?"

No answer.

A spike of fear tingled the back of his neck. He was about to open the door a crack to calm his own worries when Bucky appeared. He stepped out into the hallway after glancing back to be sure Alex was still asleep. "Hey, Steve."

"Everything alright in there?"

Bucky rubbed his face tiredly. "Yeah, she fell asleep again, which is good. Seems the medicine helped for now."

Steve eyed his friend with concern. Bucky looked like hell. His eyes were dark, cupped by fleshy pouches that showed his weariness. His face was paler than usual, and his usual proud stance had buckled a little. "You need to sleep, Buck."

He gave him a passive look. "I'm fine."

"Have you eaten?"

"No, but neither has she."

Steve cocked his head. "You can't take care of her if you don't take care of yourself first." He placed a hand on Bucky's shoulder and leveled with him. "_She's going to be okay_."

A muscle tightened near Bucky's jaw. He had that look on his face like he was either on the verge of crying or tearing someone's life apart with his bare hands. Steve recognized it as the look Bucky had whenever he was truly afraid. He understood why he felt this way, but he also understood that Bucky wasn't invincible, either. No matter how much super serum he had running through his blood, he was still human and needed to take care of himself.

"I have a question," Bucky began, his voice echoing the fear Steve saw evident in the rest of his expression. "The Cradle...It grafts skin cells, right?"

"Right."

"But can it graft nerves or nerve endings?"

Steve hesitated. "You'd have to ask Banner-"

"-It doesn't." Bucky's look of fear intensified as he lowered his voice. "She has nerve damage, Steve. Extensive nerve damage, in addition to broken bones. I've never heard anyone talk about regeneration of nerves and bones with that thing, have you?"

There were words left unspoken, but Steve could read them in the lines around Bucky's eyes. He stayed looking at him, begging him to say something that would make the fear of the unknown disappear, but Steve didn't know what to say. He didn't know enough about the Cradle or how it worked now, after everything that went on with Ultron. He also never had to use it, given his serum.

"If it's not possible with the Cradle, Banner will find a way to make it work" Steve told him, confidence in his voice. "Trust me; she's in good hands either way. If for some reason Banner can't figure it out, Stark will. There aren't two brains on the planet better than those who can help her."

A tiny bit of relief flickered in Bucky's eyes. He gave Steve a nod; one that said _thank you_\- or maybe it said _I hope_\- Steve wasn't quite sure.

"Fury ordered pizza if you want some." Steve tried to smile, especially when Bucky cast a disapproving side-eye at him.

"Pizza?!"

"He doesn't cook, Buck. He's not trying to throw a party here."

"I'm not hungry." Bucky opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. "I'll let you know when she wakes up in case she needs another one of those injections."

The door closed with a soft _click_, and Steve was left in the alone once more. He hung his head, wishing there was some way to persuade Bucky to take a break.

For the time, there was nothing he could do. Steve went back downstairs, his mind wondering about the Cradle and its capabilities. They'd find out soon enough, one way or another.

Once he was downstairs, Steve set aside three slices of pizza for Bucky and placed them in Fury's refrigerator. Sooner or later Bucky would have to give in to hunger, and he wanted to make sure he had something for him when that time came.

* * *

Alex woke up three more times over the course of five hours. By the fifth hour, Bucky helped her from the bed and walked with her out to Fury's private helipad. They went slowly; her right arm in a sling and Bucky supporting her on her left side. A S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter was waiting, its blades _whirp-whirp-whirping _in a slow rhythm as the pilot went through his pre-flight checklist. The wind whipped at Alex's hair, blocking her view as it swirled about her head.

Bucky helped her into the helicopter with the added assistance of Steve, who made sure she was secure and comfortable as he strapped her into her seat. She looked up and smiled; embarrassed but grateful for the help. "Thanks, Steve."

He secured the last strap, careful not to jostle her arm in the process. "My pleasure."

Bucky hoisted himself up into the body of the heli and sat to Alex's left, his eyes scanning her protectively. "Feel okay?"

She nodded as the pilot engaged the engine and the sound of the blades quickly drowned out any further talk between the three Avengers. In the passenger seat, Fury glanced back at Alex and gave her a thumbs-up. She gave one back, wishing she could do so with her other hand.

The helicopter lifted into the sky and left behind the drama in DC...for the time being, at least. Alex stared down at her heavily bandaged hand with a growing sickness in her stomach. A spot of bright red bloomed from the center of her palm, bleeding through the new coverings Bucky had just wrapped around her. She still couldn't feel her fingers, and the only thing she felt resonating from her palm was jarring pain.

Leaning her head back against the headrest, Alex pushed her fears aside and tried to quiet her mind as the helicopter delivered her and the others back to New York. The intense rumble of the aircraft's body sent tremors of pain through her arm and into her destroyed palm, but never into her fingers. Those continued to stay devoid of any sensation.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hide the pain from Bucky. He watched the soft features of her face turn rigid, her mouth tight as she bit back the pain she felt from the helicopter's vibration. He slid his metal hand over her thigh and opened it to her, hoping she would take it.

The gesture was all Alex needed. She moved her good hand into his, feeling the metal fingers lace in between hers. For a while, she could bare the pain again. To her surprise, a curl of white light from her powers entwined around their clasped hands, joining them for the rest of the trip back to New York. Because of this, when Alex leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes, she was able to fall asleep.

Across from them, Steve looked down at their clasped hands. He smiled to himself; his heart growing a bit larger for the two that sat opposite of him. He kept his gaze out the window thereafter, respectful of their moment no matter how small it was.

When they arrived in New York, it was a flurry of bodies and commotion. By this point, everyone at Headquarters had heard what happened down in DC, so the Avengers who were present there came to see the helicopter touch down. Tony and Bruce were at the helm of those in greeting, providing a stretcher for Alex to relieve her from having to walk from the hanger all the way back to the medic wing.

As helpless and useless as Alexis felt, she was happy to see some of the faces she hadn't even had time to see when she and Bucky returned from their vacation. It meant a lot to her that they cared, especially for her still being the newest member of the team.

Natasha was there; her expression a mixture of scrutiny and humor. She took a step forward as Bucky wheeled Alex away from the helicopter. "I'm starting to sense a pattern here."

Alex smirked. "And what's that?"

"You really need to start inviting me in on these escapades of yours. Seems you're always digging up some action no matter where you go."

It was the first chuckle Alex uttered since the injury. "You're not entirely wrong."

Despite the smile on her face, Nat's eyes turned more serious. She placed a tender hand on Alex's good shoulder and gave a squeeze. "Glad to see you're okay, Markos."

Alex gave her a nod in thanks as Bucky wheeled her past the small crowd. As she was taken to the medic wing and ushered into the room where the Cradle was located, she felt her nerves begin to spike all over again. She didn't want to see her hand. In fact, she dreaded it. More so, she felt her powers hiding inside her. Instead of being at the ready, always just a mental nudge away from being put into use, they waited inside her like fidgety children. Nervous. Unsettled. Scattered. They pulled back into her any time Alex tried to will them out of her, wondering if maybe she could heal a part of herself with her powers. Instead, they held tight to their waiting place deep within in her body, unwilling to show themselves.

That was until Bucky had taken her hand in his. Her white light had willing come through her good hand and wrapped around his, filling her with a calm that almost immediately put her to sleep. She hadn't summoned her powers, she hadn't asked them to connect with him, they just did so automatically...as if recognizing his energy had called them forth on his own.

In the bustle of bodies and electronic devices within the Cradle room, Alex tried to focus on her breathing as she waited. She kept her eyes closed while they readied the machine, only opening them so she could answer Bruce or Tony whenever they asked her questions. She kept them open when Bucky pulled an office chair up to the stretcher where she lay and settled in next to her.

"They're almost ready."

Alex felt her mouth twitch into a fake smile. "Good, because I'm 100% ready to have this done and over with."

Bucky chuckled. "Me too, doll." His eyes looked beyond the stretcher to where Banner was putting on his lab coat and glasses. He wondered if he should do the same, since he was staying through the process. He'd never seen the Cradle in use, and admittedly, he had no idea how any of it worked. The only knowledge he had was from what some of the others had told him about their experiences.

And because of those tales, Bucky felt his anxiety grow with every passing minute. He kept his eyes on Banner, watching him as he prepped the machine for any subtle changes in his demeanor. He watched Stark just as closely; he knew he'd be able to detect any shift or hesitation in them. He'd been trained to do just such a thing, and right now he needed to know if they were confident in what they could do for Alex. If there was even a second's worth of hesitation, he needed to know.

He saw that second's worth of hesitation come when Banner was speaking to Tony privately and his eyes shifted in his direction uneasily. It was only a flicker of movement; something no one else would have noticed, but Bucky was on his feet and moving.

"What is it?" he asked, approaching Stark and Banner. "Something the matter?"

Both of the men stared at him, surprised by his awareness. Though neither spoke, it was as if each were waiting on the other to speak first. Banner broke first. He cast a careful glance towards Alexis before taking his glasses off. "We may, um...need your help."

"I'll do whatever I can." Bucky folded his arms over his chest, waiting on whatever command Banner was set to give. It was clear that Bruce was trying to choose his words wisely before speaking, which was something Bucky wished Stark would do more of. Luckily, Tony seemed to want to stay out of this discussion for the time being.

Bruce's mild mannered tone lowered even further. "If it's possible, we think it would be best if you did a transfer with Alex before we begin."

"A transfer?" Bucky noticed both of Tony and Bruce's eyes shift uneasily.

"We think the process will go smoother if Alex can acquire some of your serum abilities," Bruce continued. "Namely, your cellular and molecular regeneration capabilities. If Alexis borrows some of these from you before the procedure begins, then perhaps it can also increase her pain tolerance."

Bucky heard this and a flare went off inside his head. "I thought this procedure was painless?" He felt the muscles in his throat tighten when Banner gave him a look that spoke otherwise.

"There's been a lot of nerve damage..." His expression turned sad. "I've never used the Cradle to patch together actual nerves. With the amount of damage to her bone structure and skin-"

"-Can you fix it or not?" Bucky set his jaw as he stared at him. "Yes or no? Just tell me straight, Banner."

Stark's gaze turned to the floor, but Banner looked him straight in the eye. "I can." His voice remained as calm as ever. "What I'm telling you is: it will _not _be pleasant for her. We can't sedate because, unfortunately, we need to know she can feel the reconstruction happening, as it will be our only way of knowing the nerves are actually working. When she feels the pain, we'll know the nerves are coming back. However, she'll need your help to make it as tolerable as possible for her."

Bucky looked at Stark, who gave him a shrug of his shoulder and a sympathetic smile.

"It's the best we can offer" Tony told him.

He felt sick to his stomach. _More pain. _More pain that Alex didn't need. More pain he had to sit and watch happen without any real solution. A part of him felt defeated already, but he had to trust in what Banner was telling him.

"We should begin the transfer soon" Bruce added gently. His friendly smile reassured Bucky, but only slightly. "I'm not sure how long this will take, but the sooner we begin, the sooner it can end."

Bucky nodded, his throat bobbing as he tried to swallow down the lump that had formed there. He turned and walked back to Alex, watching as she slowly moved her eyes towards his. He saw them light up from the inside, their chocolate brown shade brightening as he neared.

He reclaimed his seat next to the stretcher and took her hand in his. "They're almost ready, doll." He tried to smile, but it felt forced...because it was. His heart ached, but he had to tell her the truth. He had to prepare her for what was ahead.

Because they were so in tune, Alex could sense it before he even spoke a word. She felt it in his energy; his touch hesitant and anxious where it normally was inviting and soothing. "What is it, James?"

His blue eyes lifted. "Bruce wants us to do a transfer before the procedure."

"A transfer? Why?"

"They think some of the characteristics I have from the serum could help the regeneration process." He inhaled, trying to steady his voice. "And to help with the pain while your nerves are regenerated."

Alex's expression remained motionless. Bucky could tell she was taking in everything he was saying, including everything he wasn't saying. He squeezed her hand in his, brushing his thumb over her knuckles.

As resolute as ever, Alex gave a single nod. "Okay then."

In two words, she accepted what waited. She asked no questions and made no arguments. Just a simple agreement and it was done. Bucky loved her more than he could ever adequately explain, but his respect and admiration seemed to grow every day he knew her. He knew that beneath the resilient exterior, her heart was hammering inside her chest. He knew her mind was running; processing just how much pain and how long she would have to endure. Because of this, Bucky wanted to reassure her of what he knew for fact: that she was stronger than she could ever know, and he would be with her every step of the way.

"You can do this, Alexis. I promise." His voice was reassuring and solid. "I'm going to help you, and we'll do this together. You can handle this. I _know _you can."

There was an ironic sadness in the roundness of Alex's eyes. "You've never broken a promise to me yet, Sergeant."

With a smile, Bucky leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. "And I'm not about to now" he whispered.

He pressed his forehead against Alex's and closed his eyes. Alex did the same, and her powers sputtered weakly to life within her body. With Bucky's nose nestled in next to hers and his lips a whisper away, Alex allowed her powers to move through her and into him via their forehead touch. Her body composition started to slowly transition as Bucky's strength and power flowed into her body, filling her with the ingredients she would need to make the next phase bearable.

As the transfer took place and Alex's white light curled around Bucky, a shimmering glow pulsated within the room. Bruce and Tony's attention turned to the couple, staring with awe as the white curls of light swirled around the couple. It pulsed periodically; growing and shrinking as Alex mirrored Bucky from the inside-out.

And just as quickly as it had taken place, it was over. When the transfer complete, Bucky removed his forehead from Alex's but not without kissing her first. His body was wrapped in the familiar comfort he had whenever they finished a transfer; his entire body and mind now shared with the girl he loved most in the world. It was a connection unlike any other, and it always left him in awe of their special bond. "I love you, Alexis" he whispered.

Another promise; one Alex knew he would never break. "I love you too."

Bruce walked over and cleared his throat. The pair looked his direction, and Bucky stood as Bruce neared.

"All set?"

Bucky glanced at Alex, who nodded from the stretcher. "I am."

"Then let's begin."

They wheeled Alex's stretcher over to the large machine that would stitch her hand back together. For the first time since it happened, Alex witnessed the damage she'd sustained as Bruce removed the bandages. She didn't look long, but it was plain to see how bad it really was. Her stomach roiled at the sight of the blood; the gaping, irregular-shaped wound in the center of her hand bordered by angry slashes that marked her fingers. It was as if someone had scribbled on her skin with a knife, gouging at the flesh savagely. She turned her head away, feeling a push of new blood as Banner removed the final bandage. Jarring streaks of pain flew up her arm to her shoulder when sensors were places all around the injury.

Bucky took her good hand in his and settled in as close to her as he could in his chair. "Focus on me, babe."

Alex nodded, feeling something like a wire being inserted into the center of her palm. Water stung at her eyes as it moved deeper, and she gripped Bucky's hand even harder.

"I'll be turning the machine on now, so you'll hear a soft hum as the sensors begin" Bruce instructed.

The Cradle started up and just as Bruce said, a soft humming filled the room. Two small pivoting arms began to hover over Alexis' hand while beams of light scanned her tissue. A floating computer screen appeared near Bruce's desk, where he stood and directed everything going on while the regeneration process took place. He tapped a few times on the screen in front of him, and a much louder noise emitted from the sensors over Alex's hand.

Banner's eyes connected with Bucky's from across the room, signaling quietly that this would be the beginning. Bucky turned his attention back to Alexis, whose expression was full of fear. "I'm here, darling. It'll be over before you know it."

The small arms emitting light over Alex's hand lowered into the injury itself, using the inserts Bruce had planted within her palm to begin to reconstruction.

When they connected with the sensors inside the injury, Alex held back a scream. Her face went pale and sweat broke out across her forehead. With desperate eyes, she searched Bucky's as her breathing became ragged.

Bucky cupped her cheek and nodded. "I've got you, Alexis. You can do this."

The sensors continued to burrow deeper into her injury.

Alex's face turned red from the pressure of holding back her cries.

Bucky caressed her face, his eyes locked onto hers as they remained round and unblinking from the pain. "You're so strong, Alexis. So very, very strong."

She let out a gasp and inhaled sharply. Water from her eyes fell down her cheeks but she held on, trying to ignore the pain that was happening. "_James..._"

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He looked up at Banner, who met his worried look with one of his own. Bucky didn't know what it meant, but he chose to ignore it and kept his focus on Alex. Her cheeks were beginning to tremble from whatever horror she was feeling inside her palm. Every inch of her was tense. With their connection, Bucky could feel the waves of terror rolling through her body as though they were occurring in his own.

Alex closed her eyes and panted, moaning somewhere in her throat as the intensity of what she felt grew further. "James...oh God James..."

Bucky let go of her hand and instead, cradled her face gently and made her look at him. "Focus on me. Only me. Focus on my voice. My eyes. My hands." He tried to smile for her, but he could tell she was struggling to hold on. "Do you remember the island, doll?"

Her eyes blinked once.  
The sensors continued, stitching together her nerves, sending jolts of blinding pain through her body.

"Do you remember our waterfall?" Bucky caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, trying to envision their special place from their vacation. He wanted to paint a happy memory for her; something she could cling to and take her mind off the pain. Even if it only worked for a second, he wanted to give that to her. "Remember how turquoise the water was? How warm it felt against our bare skin?"

The faintest hint of a smile tugged at Alex's mouth. She nodded, her jaw still tightly clenched.

Bucky smoothed back her hair lovingly. "I loved being there with you. I loved how free we were. How nothing in the world could have taken me from you when we were resting on that rock. Remember how warm it was in the sun when we laid together?"

Alex's smile grew a little bigger. "Yes..." she uttered, her voice shaky. She blinked and her smile grew, even though Bucky could see she was fighting back against the pain.

"And our night on the beach..." He kept her face in his hands, feeling the calm warmth of her light as it began to spread from her body into his. Whether she was initiating it or it was happening on its own, he couldn't tell. "Remember sleeping together on the blanket? How warm the air was, how calming the waves sounded."

"Staring at the stars?" Alex uttered, the strain in her voice evident.

"All those stars, and all those planets" Bucky replied, his memory causing his smile to grow. "The ones with the purple skinned aliens with blue hair?"

"Blue hair...that I could...rock."

Her speech was disjointed, but her response was accompanied by a small chuckle through her clamped teeth. Bucky heard this and felt his entire body lift with hope. "Exactly!" He wiped away the tears and kissed both of her cheeks. "We have so many places left to explore. So many more vacations to take."

Something happened that caused Alex to utter a pained gasp. She moved as if to look at her hand, but Bucky increased his hold on her face so she wouldn't. He kept her gaze on him and only him. "Maybe we should take that ski chalet vacation next" he told her, trying to regain her focus. "Would you like that? Just think: a warm cozy cabin with just us..."

It was a struggle for her to keep her eyes on him, but she did. "Fire...We need...a real fire..."

Bucky chuckled. "Yep, a real fire, that's right." He glanced up at Banner, who gave him a nod that all was progressing fine. "Because you know, doll - I'm not going unless we have a real fire."

Alex exhaled another small laugh. "I love you."

"I love _you_."

Alex grit her teeth as the sensors began working on the skin around her fingers. Their movement was slow and methodical, but it was working. Bucky only wished it didn't have to take this long. Tears began to stream down Alex's face as another wave of pain crashed over her.

"Look at me, Alex."

She did, her lids heavy with water.

"You're doing amazing. You are so strong, you know that?"

She panted and more tears fell. _"It...hurts..."_

"Focus on me. Only me." Bucky leaned in and kissed her trembling mouth. "I've got you. I'm here with you. I'm never leaving you." His face was so close to hers, he could feel her shaking breath against his lips. The look of agony in her beautiful eyes pierced his heart. He wished it was him on that cot. That it was _his _hand that needed the work done. _His _body that ached. He would do anything to switch places with her.

"Almost complete" Banner told them.

Bucky felt Alex's body visibly ease. "You've got this." His eyes never left hers. "You can do this. You're almost done."

_"Almost done" _Alex repeated, a vein rising against the surface of her forehead. "_Almost done._"

Bucky glanced over and to his utter surprise, the cut on Alex's fingers had disappeared. The ragged injury at the center of her palm was closing, the dark red fading.

"30 seconds" Banner told them.

Bucky felt the white light around him pulse stronger. "Hang on, Alexis. Not much left. Just a little longer. You're doing so well."

Their gazes never broke in those final moments. Bucky smiled at her, and Alex smiled back. Her white light covered them completely, growing and pulsing with increasing strength as the wound closed and the sensors slowly lifted from her palm.

"I love you, Alexis" Bucky told her. "My teammate. My partner. My love."

Alex exhaled and let more tears fall. "I love you James. My brave soldier. My teammate. My love."

"Phase One complete." Banner turned the machine off and the sensors backed completely away from Alex's hand. "The worst is officially over."

Alex collapsed back against the cot and closed her eyes. Her white light recoiled from their bodies and disappeared slowly into her hands before dimming completely.

Bucky breathed a sigh of relief and felt his muscles ease. When he looked down at Alex's hand, it was as if nothing ever happened.


	15. Chapter 14

When Alex woke the next morning, she was lying on her back in her own bed. Sleeping next to her was Bucky, his large frame twisted onto his side and facing her with his metal arm outstretched. His fingers were just barely touching her arm; his subtle heat and comforting presence the most normal thing Alex had experienced in the last several days. He was dressed down in boxer briefs and a gray t-shirt, which told her he'd had time to get comfortable once they came back to her place though she didn't recall ever getting here. However it happened, she must have been so exhausted that she slept through it. Another thing she was grateful for.

And then she remembered her hand. Looking down, she felt her heart rate increase slightly. When she lifted her right arm and stared at the spot where her injury had been, the palm appeared as it had yesterday: _flawless_. Her fingers were normal. The injury gone. The skin was a slight shade of pink; her fingernails clean and no longer stained dark red from her dried blood. She flexed her fingers to test their strength, balling them into a fist and then splaying them openly again. Everything felt totally normal.

It freaked her out, but she was thankful.

Beyond thankful.

She exhaled a sigh and thought about the events of the previous evening. The Cradle. The pain. The restitching and reconstruction that took place. The questions afterwards by Bruce, Tony, and eventually Nick Fury.

A groan escaped her throat at the thought. She promised Nick she would tell him everything she could remember from the rooftop. And while a promise was a promise, she just wanted to be done with it. She was incredibly indebted to the precious time everyone spent working to fix her when they should have been going after Claudia - or whatever her actual name was - and the rest of whoever was behind all of this. As a group, she and the others needed to figure out why they wanted Bucky back so badly. Maybe it should have been obvious to her. Maybe it should have scared her more than it did. Or maybe she was still too tired to think about any of it.

Unaware of how loudly she must have groaned, Alex was startled to see Bucky's eyelids flutter open next to her. His face lifted from the pillow, alarm surfacing in the blue of his eyes.

"You okay?"

Alex smiled. "Mm hmm." She shifted onto her side and faced him, her now-restored right hand reaching out to entwine in his. She felt the smooth texture of the metal between her fingers and was never more grateful than she was then to have her sense of touch restored. "Sorry I woke you." She scrunched her face up guiltily.

"Don't apologize. I'm happy to see you like this." His eyes angled towards her hand. "How's it feel now?"

"Like nothing ever happened."

"Then it was worth it." He disconnected his hand so he could cup her face. "I'm so proud of you."

Alex's powers flickered inside her chest at Bucky's touch. It reminded her of the day before, when he had transferred some of himself into her to help her through the pain. With how badly the procedure still hurt, she couldn't imagine what it would have been like without his help.

"Thank you," she told him, feeling her emotions swelling further. "For everything you did yesterday. And the day before. All of it, honestly. I couldn't have done it without you."

The corner of Bucky's mouth lifted, his metal hand as tender as ever as it brushed across her cheek. "That's about the eighth time you've told me that, doll."

"Then I owe you about a dozen or two more."

He blew a raspberry, to which Alex playfully rolled her eyes. She uttered a soft sigh, one that gave evidence to the craziness of the past several days. "What the hell actually happened the past few days?"

Bucky shook his head, even as he settled it deeper into the pillow. "I don't even know. One minute, we were all having a good time. The next minute we're getting assaulted."

"Can we talk about how you actually punched a guy?"

His eyes flashed as they found hers. "And I'd do it again for how he was acting."

"He was part of the set-up."

"I don't care who he was or why he was doing it."

Judging by the way the broad muscles of his neck were flexing, Alex could see he meant it. She was flattered, despite the circumstances of it all. Gently, she laced her fingers between his again and watched as the tension in his face eased. "Can we also discuss something else from that night I never got a chance to talk to you about?" She reached up and tugged on the ends of his shoulder-length hair. "How handsome you look with short hair?"

Bucky studied her expression with interest. "You mean...from the war?"

"I was talking about it with Steve when you went to the bar to get drinks." She twirled a piece of his dark hair around her index finger. "You were quite the handsome soldier...all clean cut with your baby face shaven."

His eyebrows rose. "_Were_?"

"Are."

"Do you like short hair better?"

She gave a single, firm tug on his hair. "_No_. That's not what I'm saying."

"I'll cut it if you like it-"

"-James Barnes!"

He was laughing now, and Alex realized only too late that he was trying to rile her up and it worked. He leaned in and kissed her, though his laughter made it sloppy and adorable and everything Alex had missed about mornings spent with Bucky. It had only been less than a week since they were last able to do this: lay in bed, together, talking and joking around and relaxing together, but it felt like it had been far longer than that. Needless to say, it felt really, _really _good to be laying with Bucky in bed like they were.

Thinking of the island made Alex think of the two little girls they met. "What did those little girls on the island call me? _Replica?_" She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. "I guess with this new hand, I'm living up to my new nickname."

Bucky chuckled. "Sorry babe, but _this _is a replica." He raised his metal arm and wiggled his fingers with a shit-eating grin lighting up his face.

He was so handsome, it made her chest hurt. The playful curl of his mouth, the bright eyes, the stubble that was slowly turning into a longer, darker beard from going days without a trim. The blur of the past few days left Alex feeling like her tank was drained empty of all the things she loved about Bucky. Mornings spent with him were her favorite; how effortless he looked with mussed up hair and that lazy, easy way his smile appeared in the new light of the day; his strong body folded into the blankets looking more comfortable than the metal would lead one to believe.

With the metal of his hand still wiggling tauntingly in front of her, Alex reached over and playfully pushed his hand down. They shared a laugh, even as Bucky's metal fingers slid in between Alex's once more. He opened her right palm and traced gentle lines from her fingertips down to the center of her palm. One by one, he drug the warm metal along the length of her fingers, tickling Alex's skin.

He met her gaze and smiled. "Can you feel all of this?"

She nodded, enjoying the subtle touches. Inside her chest, her powers grew to more than just a flicker. Bucky's touch seemed to be the switch that powered them to life. They rose into her arm and down to her hand where Bucky's fingers were. She let them flow out of her palm and curl around his, binding them in a wisp of white light.

"Do my powers feel different to you?" she asked him.

Bucky thought for a moment, his eyes focused on the light pulsing around his hand. "It's felt different for a while now."

This made her heart jump a little inside her chest. "What do you mean?" Her sudden jolt of fear caused her light to fade and fall back into her palm.

"I don't mean that in a bad way" Bucky added quickly, seeing her light react to her fear. "I just..." He sighed as he tried to find his words. "Remember back on the island, when we did our first transfer together?"

Alex nodded. "Of course."

"At first, I felt like we shared more than just physical characteristics that day. Then, the more we've done it, it's like our connection seems-"

"-Stronger?" Alex finished. "More complete?"

Bucky was surprised to hear this. "So you've felt it too?"

As he asked the question, it was if Alex's powers wanted to answer him on their own. They tingled in her palm, extending beyond the center where her injury was until they connected once more with Bucky's hand. Her white light pulsed strongly, flickering out a message that seemed to answer for them, binding the two of them together once more.

"Did you just do that?" Bucky asked.

Alex met his curious gaze with confidence. "Nope."

"And they've never done that before?" He looked down at his hand, now enrobed in white light. "I mean, with anyone else?"

"No...not until you" Alex answered. "The more transfers we do, the more my powers seem to recognize you. They just leave my body and connect with yours...almost like an extension of myself. But it began long before the island." She recalled the painful memory of Bucky's injured body from the Hybrid Mission months before. "Remember when you took a claw to your stomach from one of those hybrids?"

Bucky winced. "I'd rather not."

She gave him a tiny smile. "How about when I came to visit you in the med wing? You said you felt my presence, even though you were unconscious from the pain meds they were giving you?"

A moment of realization appeared within Bucky's expression. His eyes lifted, the memory coming back to him clearly. "Yes..."

"I've felt you so many times in that way, especially the past few days. Now I know exactly what you meant." Alex lowered her gaze to her powers flickering and pulsating around her hand. The mysterious white light that appeared whenever she was in tune with her strange gift was something she tried to keep hidden her entire life. Now if she wanted to hide them, they wouldn't allow it...not whenever Bucky was with her. "Maybe there is something about our connection that's different."

A word echoed inside Bucky's mind in the voice of Steve, back in his living room a week or so ago: _love. _He thought back to that conversation and couldn't help but let out a tiny chuckle.

Across the pillow, Alex stared curiously. "What is it?"

Bucky shook his head. "I think we might be overthinking this."

"Oh?"

"Mmm hmm." His voice was a deep rumble; soothing and full of affection. "I think our love is what makes this different. Our connection is more than your powers...and maybe your powers sense that."

Inside, Alex felt her powers ripple through her body and into her fingers. She and Bucky both looked down as her white light glowed brighter around their hands, swirling around their wrists.

"I guess we've got our answer" Alex replied with a smirk.

Bucky eyed her. "You swear you're not doing that?"

"I swear."

They stared at one another and smiled. There had always been something different about their connection. There had always been something beneath the surface, ever since the beginning when Alex first put her hands on Bucky in the practice room. Since then, they'd been discovering just how deep their bond truly was. The way they were with one another, the way Alex could be with Bucky in ways she'd never been able to with anyone else, they both understood it wasn't just a coincidence of occurrence. They were meant to find one another in this life.

An idea stirred inside Alex's mind. She debated the sanity within the idea, but her curiosity got the best of her. She sat up and crossed her legs in front of her, facing Bucky. "I might be crazy, but I want to try something. You up for an experiment?"

Bucky lifted himself into a seated position, folding his long legs beneath him. "Absolutely. What are you thinking?"

"I want us to do a transfer like we did yesterday." She lifted her hand to Bucky's forehead and tapped gently on the space between his dark brows. "With our foreheads touching, and with you initiating."

Those same dark brows bent slightly. "Do you think that makes a difference?"

"I'd like to see if it does - now that I'm not in tremendous pain." She searched the clear blue of Bucky's eyes for any hesitation, but there was none. Knowing he was committed, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Ready when you are."

In a strange reversal of roles, Bucky pressed his forehead to Alex's and closed his eyes, initiating the transfer. Just as it happened the day before, Alex's powers sensed Bucky's presence and answered by flowing freely from Alex's body into his. She didn't have to concentrate to send them into his body - they simply did so on their own. She could feel them latching on to his physical composition, transferring his power into her body; her muscles and bones shifting on the inside to accommodate his strength and abilities. Nothing about this part of the transfer felt different, nor did she expect it to.

Across from her, Bucky felt much of the same occurring inside him as it usually did: the comforting warmth of Alex's powers entering his body, tugging gently, filling him with a comforting sense of familiarity. As he focused on the sensations, every inch of him was soon covered in white light; matched only by a sense of calm and reassurance and trust. The sensation was similar to whenever they worked on his memories together. The way it felt whenever she entered his mind and sifted through his darkest memories.

When the transfer had completed, the white light vanished back into Alex's body. The warmth of her presence inside Bucky lifted, leaving him feeling strangely empty. He opened his eyes and pulled away from Alex's forehead to search her eyes as they stared into his. "Feel any different?"

"Don't talk" Alex said, and she closed her eyes again. "And close your eyes."

Bucky did, unsure of what she was doing. "But why-"

"_Shhh_."

Alex went inside herself. She dove deep into the well where her powers lived and pulled. This time, instead of sending her power out to her limbs, she sent them into her mind. She could already tell how much stronger her body felt from Bucky's transfer. She had that antsy, restless sensation of unlimited energy kindling inside her from him - but she focused all of it on her mind. She searched for what she thought might be there: a deeper link between them, formed by their shared powers and their shared love. It was a long shot, but after the past few days and after what Bucky had told her before, she thought it might be there.

And then she found it.

It was there, flickering and waiting for her to latch on to with her powers. It had been growing stronger the closer she and Bucky became. The more they shared, the more they trusted one another, the stronger the link grew, creating a bridge that connected them not just through physical traits, but through their minds.

Feeling excitement and fear, Alex wrapped her powers around that link and solidified it, feeling her powers thrumming louder than ever. With her mind, she reached out to him.

_James? Can you hear me?_

Across from her, Bucky's eyes snapped open.

_Close your eyes, _Alex told him through her thoughts. Her heart was racing; amazed at what was happening. She could hear the wonder inside Bucky's mind; his thoughts alive and alert and confused by what was occurring. She focused her powers more and kept her eyes closed. _Say something to me. But think it - don't actually say it._

_This can't be real_, was all Bucky could think - and Alex heard it inside her mind.

She opened her eyes and smiled. _Open your eyes, James. _

He did, and his expression held all the fear and question that she could sense inside his mind. "How are you doing this?" His voice was hushed; his eyes large and round.

"I think you were right all along" Alex said. "It's our bond. And it's more than just physical traits being transferred between us."

_So you can hear me think this right now? _

His question came silently, but it was loud and clear inside Alex's mind.

_Yes._

The couple sat facing one another, feeling each other's emotions as if they were their own. Maybe they _were_ their own. Nothing could be hidden between them now. The link between them was as raw and real as it could get, though neither Bucky nor Alex were afraid.

"Remember what I said back on the island?" Bucky's eyes crinkled at the corners.

Alex didn't need him to tell her. She could hear it in his thoughts. "_I have nothing to hide from you." _She recalled the moment Bucky uttered the phrase back in Boroshka's hut, when Boroshka was trying to divide them with lies about the breeding program.

She nodded, feeling her eyes sting with tears. _I do._

_Are you afraid of this? _

_No. Are you?_

_No. _His answer was as solid as if he'd spoken it aloud.

Alex had never felt a connection like she felt with Bucky. During the 27 years she'd been alive, she never even thought it was even possible. All those years had been lonesome and empty. She'd find connections with people and then watch them end because of her powers. Loneliness was all she knew, and she'd gotten comfortable with it. She'd gotten good at hiding everything that made her special...until she became an Avenger. Until she met Bucky.

With a link like this - Bucky could see everything about her, and she could see everything about him. She should have been frightened. She should have been scared shitless. But neither of them were afraid. In fact, the link between their minds only solidified something that had already been there, growing and strengthening each day they spent together.

"You know what this means now, don't you?" Alex told him, her smirk growing.

"I can't hide my secrets anymore?" he teased.

"You never did in the first place" she teased back.

"True." One of his eyebrows quirked upward. "So you must mean something about our missions?"

Alex gave a slow nod. "They just got_ a lot _more badass."

Bucky's expression broke into a wide grin. "Silent communication."

"Matched movements."

"Perfect uniformity."

"Something Hydra could never have."

"Something Hydra _will never _have."

They stared at one another as possibility after possibility appeared in their minds. The ways they could use this newfound ability in the future to their advantage; the way they could aid one another if the other got into a bind. The potential advantages were endless.

"Do we tell anyone?" Bucky asked.

Alex could hear his own answer inside his mind as he asked the question - and she agreed with him. "No."

"Good."

And then Alex heard Bucky's thoughts as he leaned into her mouth, his lips hovering just a fraction away from hers: _I love you, Alexis._

His mouth locked onto hers in a passionate embrace, his flesh hand cupping her face firmly. For the first time, they _heard _one another's desire for the other, and they wouldn't have turned the link off even if they could. They wanted to explore this newfound power, and they wanted to feel each other in a way they'd not felt before.

As Bucky lay Alex back on the bed, his mind told her all the things he wanted to show her with his body. He lifted her hands above her head, holding her wrists with a silent command through their link to keep them there. His kisses spoke to her where his mind didn't; his need for her evident in the way his body was responding. She closed her eyes and listened to him through their link, feeling his soft lips hungrily devour her neck and his hair tickle her skin. Warmth pooled deep in her center and she smiled. His touch was so familiar. So strong. So satisfying.

_I've missed this_, she thought.

_I've missed it too_, he answered.

Her powers also answered; encircling their bodies as the couple found comfort in one another's physical embrace. As their bodies joined and they reached a new level of pleasure, the white light grew; shimmering and pulsing around their naked bodies as their moans filled the bedroom. Not once did they utter a single word. That morning, their passion was experienced through their newfound link and in the way their bodies moved together as one.

Hydra had no idea the power the couple now had together, or how it would come to destroy the plans being made for them in that moment.

* * *

On the northern border of Ukraine, Oxana Kovalenko walked slowly in front of twelve uniformed men. Their uniforms of black and red donned one symbol and one symbol only: a black skull framed by tentacles on a red background. The eyes of the skull stared back at Oxana as she inspected each of the men that she tasked with her safety, as well as the safety of her secrets.

Her secrets in Washington had run out. She needed time, but she could morph from Claudia Burke into her next persona. The men standing before her would ensure she was given that time, because she knew it was running short. The Avengers would come; she was sure of that. But she would be ready. She knew what mistakes she'd made in Washington that she would not make now. She'd underestimated the girl, Markos. She would not make that mistake twice.

The men standing before her were trained far better than the dullards she'd employed in Washington. She would not make _that _mistake twice, either. S.H.I.E.L.D-trained men were not of the same caliber as the men currently standing before her. The men before her were descended from the same bloodlines as she was. They were the sons of Hydra; raised as she'd been from the highest ranks from generations that came before them. She trusted them with her life. They would not fail her.

The bunker she would hide in for the time being would be guarded with the best Hydra had to offer. Oxana would use her time to transform here. She would implore the biometric technology available to her in the bunker, and then she would need to speak with Erik Dobrow.

No, not speak. _Meet. _They needed to meet and discuss how they were going to trap Barnes. Sheer force wouldn't be enough; she could see that now. Barnes was far different than she used to know of him, and she could no longer rely on old methods of subduing him. It wasn't a total loss...just a bump in the road to success - and she _would _be successful.

She had an idea. One that had brought her to Ukraine. An idea she needed Dobrow's approval and ingenuity to see through. She may not be able to subdue Barnes using old methods, but there were certain aspects about Barnes that hadn't changed - such as his arm. Though the make of it appeared much different than the old silver-plated arm he'd worn in the years she'd known him, she knew the inner construction and how it was attached to his body had not changed. It _could not _change. Wakanda may have made a prettier exterior, but the interior workings of Barnes' arm would always be the same, and she could use this to her advantage.

And once she had him, there was always the refreeze chamber. Once she got him there, there he would stay.

A proud smile appeared as she turned and faced the rows of men before her. Yes, she'd made mistakes in Washington. She would learn from them, and she would win. She never made the same mistake twice, and she wasn't about to this time.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Alex met with Fury for the meeting she promised him. They met in the main conference room within Avenger's Headquarters; Fury in his typical black attire, and Alexis in jeans and fitted t-shirt. She was freshly showered after her and Bucky's morning together; no sign at all that she'd gotten fucked long and well just an hour earlier. She left Bucky in her apartment; a sex-rumpled mess who'd already fallen asleep as she got herself showered and ready. She threw on her relaxed outfit, pulled her long hair up in a ponytail, gave him a kiss goodbye wishing she could sleep the rest of the day away with him - then rushed out to make the meeting on time. She arrived in the conference room expecting to see others there, but it really was only Fury. He stood up in greeting, so Alex made a point to shake his hand with her newly-restored one.

Fury looked down and grinned. "Amazing."

"I know." She took a seat across from him and stared down at her palm. If he only knew what she and Bucky had learned that morning, he'd be floored.

"And no complications following the restoration?" Fury took a seat across from her.

"None that I can see or feel."

"That's the best news one can ask for."

Alex knew Fury could be brusque at times, but she also knew he had a fatherly side to him that he didn't hide very well whenever he was with her. For this, she was especially grateful, and she took his words to heart.

"So..." She exhaled reluctantly. "Shall I begin?"

Fury gave her the floor and for the next hour, Alex explained in great detail everything she could recall from the night on the rooftop. Fury recorded all of it, making notes on his laptop from time to time as she described the memories she'd searched in the agent's mind. Thankfully, he spared her the ordeal of having to explain the details of her injury any more than she already did. They stuck to the topic of the agent, his link to Claudia Burke, and the proven truths about the Polish branch and the influence Hydra had over it.

Upon finishing, Alex crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. "I've been doing a lot of the talking, Fury, and rightfully so - but I still have plenty of questions. Some of which I'm hoping you can answer."

"I'll do my very best" Fury replied, shifting in his chair. "Ask away."

"Number one: why Burke?" The name rolled off her tongue with far more anger than Alex expected to hear. "Number two: what does she want with James, or better yet: _me_? What's her vendetta with me that she'd send those men to hurt me?"

Fury glanced down at the black suit pants he wore, his stern expression unwavering. "I have my suspicions about Barnes, but no facts..._yet_. As for you, I know very little as to what they have against you. Maybe they're still pissed about the hybrids." He lifted his one good eye and stared at her, a twinkle of mischief in its dark color.

"Maybe so," Alex said with a smirk.

"Care to hear my suspicions about Barnes, then?"

"Sure, why not."

"Simply put: Hydra wants him back. They still think he's their best creation, and the thought of losing him - to _us -_ burns them to the core."

Alex frowned. "But they know he's healed. They _know _he's not the same man that walked away from them years ago. The words don't even work on him anymore. The encounter with Boroshka proved that."

"Whether they know that or not, it doesn't matter. They want their property back." Fury's matter-of-fact expression leveled with her in that moment. "And if _they_ have him, that means _we _don't."

"That's childish, even for Hydra" Alex replied sourly.

Fury raised his hands in a shrug. "Does it surprise you, though?"

They exchanged a knowing glance, both of them too well versed in the behavior of Hydra to say otherwise. Alex let his suspicion settle into her mind, stewing over it silently. It made sense, for the most part: they were pissed their decade's worth of scientific research and experimentation had gone to waste. Their "experiment" was fighting on the "wrong side", and it probably ate away at their insides more than she realized. She knew it was a hard pill for all of them to swallow. And Burke - _Kovalenko _\- being the daughter of someone who'd had a hand in the creation of their first winter soldier?

Alex felt anger burn hot in her face. "Kovalenko has to go" she told Fury. "And I want to be the one to take her out."

The faintest smirk appeared on Fury's face. "She's been missing from DC since the night of the ambush. An admission of guilt as good as any, if you ask me. Since then, we've been trying to locate her and the rest of her band of associates. The minute we get a lock on her location, we'll be sending you and some of the others on the team to take them out. That's when you'll get your chance."

"I have a suggestion, if I may?" She waited for Fury to argue, but he remained silent in anticipation of what she had to say. "Send me and Barnes - and only us."

"Markos..."

"This is our fight. It's been our fight since our vacation." She uncrossed her legs and faced him head-on, her spine straight and confident. "We should be the ones to end it. Together."

Fury studied her quietly. "I know it was under different circumstances, but the two of you, plus Rogers, nearly lost to a small band of her men in an alleyway."

Regret sat heavy in Alex's stomach. She swallowed thickly, still blaming herself for what happened on the roof. That had been _her _mistake, and she paid for it. It wasn't a lesson she would forget any time soon, and it only made her want to do whatever she could to make up for it; to prove to herself that she could maintain control.

"It's not that I don't trust you" Fury added. "You know I do."

"Then trust me one more time" Alex pleaded. "Trust _us_. We can do this." She leaned forward in her chair. "Back on the island, when James told me he was going after Boroshka and ending it, it was never a question of whether I'd be going with him or not. I knew I was. He never asked me to join him...I just did, because we're a team, Fury. When we're together, he and I have a way of working together that's different from how we are with the others." In her mind, she thought of the reasons why they'd always worked so well together. The link they discovered today had been there all along, guiding them, joining them in ways they never knew. It was a tool she couldn't tell Fury about, but it was something none of the others on the team had.

"Some say there's a conflict of interest involved with those who are in a relationship and who also work together" he countered.

Alex shrugged a shoulder. "Ask Boroshka what he thought of that conflict of interest."

A look of amusement brightened Fury's dark stare. "I'll have to discuss this proposition with Barnes before I give you an answer." He paused. "Where this mission leads...it may not be easy for him."

Alex gave a nod. "I'll be there to help him with that, every step of the way."

"I have no doubt." Fury stood, signaling the end of their meeting. "Thanks again for meeting with me and going through all the details. What you can do...what you _have _done...it's been invaluable."

Alex was humbled by his words as much as the look of gratitude he wore in his expression. "You're welcome, Fury." She hoped it lead somewhere positive, and she hoped she didn't lose another hand in the process. As she turned to leave, a thought came to mind that made her stop and face Fury once more. "Barnes will agree to the mission, and he'll want it to be just us. No one else."

"And you know this, how?" Fury asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Alex smiled. "We think very similarly a lot of things. Almost like we share a brain sometimes."

She gave a final nod and then left the conference room, her words lingering in Fury's mind long after she left.

* * *

**Author's Note: Many apologies for being so slow to update with this new chapter. The stresses of real life have made it difficult to tap into my creativity, but I'm slowly getting it back again :) Thanks again to everyone for reading and supporting! I read every comment, every private message, and see every favorite/follow/etc. It means the world to me, and I thank you!**


	16. Chapter 15

By 4 pm that afternoon, the temperature outside had dropped well below freezing...and Bucky could tell. He was halfway through his run when he began to really feel it. Every long stride was marked by steam rising off his sweaty body, while every hard exhale was visible as a cloud in front of his mouth. His face was flushed pink by the time he rounded the grounds and headed back towards Headquarters, so he took a moment to catch his breath. He rested his hands on his head as he began to slowly pace and allowed his breathing to steady.

Deep in the pocket of his pants, he felt the vibration of his cell against his thigh. As he paced, he fished the phone out and glanced at the screen to see a text from Nick Fury:

_Would like to meet privately in the conference room at 1800, if you can make it then. Confirm ASAP._

Bucky tapped out a quick answer confirming he would be there and then slipped his phone back in his pocket. He braced his hands on his hips and began walking down the path, his mind wandering to what the meeting might entail. More details about Hydra and why they wanted him, hopefully. Maybe assignments for a mission, but probably just more questioning. Either way, his run would have to be cut short.

Dressed in a zip-up hoodie layered with a long sleeve compression top beneath, Bucky could feel the cold air as it nipped at the back of his exposed neck. The cold didn't usually do much to him, but he felt it most whenever he was wet or sweaty. He leaned his head back and stared up at the gray winter sky above, feeling lines of sweat drip away from his hairline down his temples. His breathing was more regular now, but his breath still came in tiny visible puffs from the cold. He watched as the cloud rose from his mouth and dissipated, fading into nothing above him. Moments like this made him miss that warm, humid run he'd taken back on the island. He preferred hot and humid over dismal, gray, and cold any day. It reminded him too much of what he lived through for decades.

He quickly channeled his thoughts to something better: the events of that morning and everything he learned about his and Alex's bond. It still left him in amazement; amazement he knew wouldn't so easily leave him. If he tried to think back on a time in his life where every single day brought something new, he came up with little. The days of the war, maybe. Every day brought something new then, but it was always something horrible. These days, in this new life of his, every day was different...but it was a good kind of different.

He shook his head and smiled to himself. It was hard to believe that this was his life.

_This.  
__This _was his life.

The massive Headquarters building looming before him. A group of people that accepted him. He had his best friend. He had his mind back. His choices back. And he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend whose powers could somehow allow them to speak to one telepathically.

It made no sense, but it was true.

_Then again, _Bucky thought, _I'm alive and I have this arm. Steve has his serum. Wanda has her hands. Bruce has the Hulk. Thor exists. Alexis can mirror anyone she chooses, and now...now we can speak to one another through our thoughts._

Nothing about his life made sense, but he was living it. He was proof. They all were. That's what made the Avengers special: none of them should have made sense in this world, but they existed nonetheless.

It made him wonder what Fury had in store for him in their meeting. He fully anticipated he'd hear a bunch of things he wouldn't like. That's how meetings with Nick Fury went, and he tried to accept that. Whatever ended up happening with the people who were after him, he knew he'd have to face another part of his past that would cause him discomfort, but he accepted that as well. As awful as it was, his lessons in Wakanda gave him the tools to practice acceptance.

Still didn't make it enjoyable to do, though.

Rolling his head, Bucky cracked his neck and felt a bit of his mounting tension release. He increased his pace and began the remainder of his run back to the main grounds and back to his apartment where a warm shower would be waiting. His breathing increased and the chill of the air stung his lungs, and his mind went back to the warmth and humidity of the island. It stayed with him all the way back to Headquarters where he slowed to a walk. Here, he took two minutes to himself to catch his breath while also sending Alex a text:

_Finished my run. Beat our old time by 4 minutes before I took a break in the usual spot. Looks like you have some catching up to do. ;) I've got to meet with Fury at 1800, but after that I'm all yours. Talk then. _

By the time he made it back to his place, Alex had sent a flirty text back that made any lingering chill in his body disappear completely. No matter how much his brain tried to process that he now shared a telepathic connection with Alex, one thing was certain: sharing telepathic thoughts and feelings with ber had taken sex to a whole new level. Having Alex's powers wrap around him while he was inside her was one thing. Having Alex's powers wrap around him while listening to her raw thoughts, emotions, and feelings for him echo inside his mind was _so_much more.

Bucky pondered this as he showered, only to realize halfway through that he was making himself hard. Not exactly how he wanted to present himself at the meeting with Fury, so he forced himself to stop thinking about the morning with Alex all together for the sake of his body, and for the sake of everyone who had to see him.

He finished the shower and finally trimmed his beard (he'd heard Alex's protest for how rough it felt against her skin inside her mind, so he made note to trim it), and then rummaged through his clothes for something presentable to wear to the meeting. He chose a plain blue button-down and dark jeans, figuring it was good enough for Fury who he knew, without a doubt, would be wearing his usual black attire.

When Bucky stepped inside the conference room, Fury hadn't let him down. He was suited up head-to-toe in all black, which made Bucky wonder just how many black items he actually owned.

"Barnes."

"Fury." He wheeled out one of the chairs and sat down, setting his cell on the table next to him. He was about to ask what the meeting was about, but it seemed Fury was already one step ahead of him. He presented an opened laptop to him, positioning it so the screen was visible.

"We can confirm the person who was behind the plot to ambush you. Turns out, she works for us."

"_Works?_" Bucky lifted an eyebrow. "Present tense?"

"_Worked," _Fury said in correction. "She fled the country after her plan didn't work out the way she intended."

"I'm guessing you don't know where she's fled to?"

Fury shook his head and leaned back in his chair. He motioned to the laptop. "I was hoping you might recognize her or know something about her that we don't...in hopes we could locate her a little more quickly."

Bucky leaned in closer to the laptop and stared at the picture. Looking back at him was a mature woman posing for a typical S.H.I.E.L.D. profile picture. Her graying hair was pinned tightly back into a small bun. If he had to guess, her fair eyes accompanied by her fair skin hinted at northern European origins. She was also overweight from age, but not terribly. Nothing about the woman jogged his memory. "What's her name?"

"You want her real name? Or the one she used while posing as a S.H.I.E.L.D. branch leader?"

Bucky stared at him. "_This _is the Polish branch leader you mentioned the night of the ambush?"

"Her S.H.I.E.L.D. alias was Claudia Burke" Fury replied gruffly. "Her birth name, however, is Oxana Kovalenko...if that rings a bell."

"Kovalenko..." Bucky looked back to the picture on the screen, scrutinizing her more closely. "Have I met her before?"

"Don't think so" Fury answered. "Though I don't see why you would have. None of the team has ever been to the Polish branch."

_Kovalenko. _Something inside Bucky's memory struggled at the sight of the woman. He could have heard her name any number of times in the hundreds of S.H.I.E.L.D. meetings he'd sat through since coming back from Wakanda. Then again, the more he stared at the picture, the more this woman's fair eyes seemed familiar. "Do you have any other pictures of her?"

"I've got something better." Fury pulled the laptop back in front of him and typed a few commands into the keyboard, then swiveled it back to Bucky. "This is the security feed from the last meeting she attended inside the Triskelion. A meeting that, coincidentally, Alexis also attended."

Bucky felt his heart jump. He kept his eyes locked on the screen, watching as the video showed a conference room inside S.H.I.E.L.D. It was one of the meetings from a week ago when Alexis was in DC before he and Steve arrived. She was sitting next to Fury, the pair of them facing several other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. he didn't recognize. Kovalenko sat directly across from Alexis, her stare never releasing from Alexis whether she was speaking or not.

"Go forward to about the 80 minute mark" Fury told him.

Bucky scrolled the video forward in time, stopping around the time stamp Fury told him. He watched as the group within the conference room disbanded temporarily. Alexis and the others stood and it seemed that courteous words were exchanged, though Bucky couldn't hear them. He also noticed Fury was missing from the room. As the others filed out into the hallway, Kovalenko approached Alexis.

"Any audio feed on this?" Bucky asked, but Fury only shook his head.

For a moment the women spoke to one another privately. Bucky couldn't help but notice the change in Alex's posture halfway through the conversation. Whatever Kovalenko was saying had clearly made her uncomfortable. He could tell by her body language, even at the distance from where the security camera recorded it. It was the same uncomfortable stance Alex had in the bar when the man approached her.

"Interesting, isn't it?" Fury inquired, rubbing a finger over his chin thoughtfully. "This was only two nights before the ambush. Did Markos mention this interaction to you at all?"

"No." Bucky kept his eyes on the final moments of their chat, watching Kovalenko get the last word before leaving Alexis alone in the room. The video showed Alex lowering her head, and Bucky could see her take a deep inhale before exiting the room.

"I'm guessing whatever it was, it wasn't enough to raise any red flags" Fury added. "Otherwise, Markos would have told one of us."

Bucky saw Fury's good eye honing in on him from over the laptop. If he was implying that information was being held back on either his or Alex's part, he had another thing coming. "I'll ask her about it next chance I see her."

"Thank you."

The video ended and Bucky leaned back in his chair. "So we know the _who_. Do we know the _why_?"

Fury's expression turned agitated; not at him, but at the situation at hand and how little he knew. "I'll give you the same answer I gave Markos: I have suspicions, but no hard facts. Not yet, anyways. We're working on those. I was hoping maybe you seeing Kovalenko might jog your memory a little more than it has."

Off-put by the comment, Bucky shrugged one of his shoulders. "If I can't remember, I can't remember. I'm sorry I can't be more help."

Fury held Bucky's gaze a moment longer before he gave a sympathetic nod. "I understand. It was a long shot, but I wanted to make sure I covered every base before I went back to DC."

"Is a mission likely?" Bucky asked. "Once you locate her whereabouts?"

"Yes - and that's the other reason why I wanted to meet with you." With this, Fury closed the laptop and folded his hands over the table. "Once we find Kovalenko's whereabouts, my plan was to send you and the team to take her and her accomplices out. And while I'd _prefer_you worked alongside a few other Avengers, it's been proposed that you and Markos handle this mission together - as a solo team."

It took all the restraint Bucky had to keep his mouth from forming a smile. The proposition had Alexis written all over it. It not only made the most sense given what they'd done on the island together, but now - with the knowledge they gained that morning - he knew it had to have been her who made the suggestion.

"Do you agree to do this as a solo mission with Markos?" Fury asked directly.

"I do."

"You understand that within this mission, I may ask you to go back to a place from your past you never expected, or wanted, to visit again?" Fury's tone was plain and his demeanor factual, but his stare was as solid as a rock.

Bucky nodded. "I do."

"And you agree to take Markos to that place with you, knowing the risks?"

The way that Fury phrased that statement caused Bucky to pause, but only for of a second. If he and Alex were together...if they worked together, as a team, as the duo he knew they were, with the knowledge they'd gained that morning...then Alexis was safe. As long as they were together, he knew he could protect her. And so he answered Fury confidently, "I do."

Fury gave a single nod. "Then consider this yours and Markos' mission."

* * *

"Sooo...? How'd it go?"

Bucky settled heavily into the cushions of his couch, his phone pressed to his ear. "The solo mission was your idea, wasn't it?" He smiled when he heard Alex's laughter on the other line.

"You sure you're still not inside my head?"

"Are you sure you're not still in mine?" He was still smiling against his phone, picturing Alex's pretty face and her large grin. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew it was there. "I agreed to it, of course - so he said the mission's all ours, if they ever find her."

"Don't worry. They'll find her."

Bucky leaned his head back and shut his eyes. He thought about asking her what transpired between them in the conference room during that meeting, but he held off. The truth was, he didn't want to think about missions or Hydra or any of the bullshit he was forced to think about all the time anyways. Right now, he had a craving - a craving to explore more of what his and Alexis' telepathic bond could do. "Whatchya up to right now?"

"Waiting for my invite over" she teased.

His smile turned quickly into a grin. "As if you need an invite."

"Well I've been a bit of a pain in the ass for the past few days, so I didn't want to be greedy..."

Bucky hoped she really didn't believe her being injured meant she was a pain in his ass. "Get your sexy ass over here, please? And bring a change of clothes."

There was a pause. "A change of clothes?"

"I might ruin whatever you're in right now, so I'm trying to plan ahead" he told her.

Her purr against his ear rewarded him. "Yes _sir_."

Bucky hung up, his grin settling into a pleased smirk. He glanced down to see his jeans were already tight in the groin from his dick that refused to stay down. That morning had given him a taste of something he may very well become addicted to if he wasn't careful, but for tonight, he wanted to throw caution to the wind. He wanted to forget the bullshit that Hydra continuously brought to his life. He wanted to lose himself in the feel of someone who brought him joy.

Apparently, so did Alexis.

When Bucky heard the knock, he answered the door to find his girlfriend dressed in her knee-length winter jacket. On her feet, however, were her fuzzy slippers she liked so much. Confused, he drew his gaze from her outfit to the doe eyes that stared up at him. "Interesting outfit choice, doll."

Alexis pushed inside and closed the door behind her. "I thought I'd save you the trouble of worrying about clothing all together." She slid the coat off her shoulders and let it puddle around her ankles. Beneath was her bare body decorated in nothing but a black thong, a strappy black bra, and sheer black thigh high stockings. Around her waist sat an equally sheer mesh garter belt with straps attached to the tops of her stockings.

Bucky's mouth fell open. His eyes dropped down the length of Alex's perfect body, taking in everything he was seeing. She looked like a present; dressed up and ready to be unwrapped by him and him alone. Her dark hair was left loose over her shoulders, which she moved away from her breasts sitting high in her bra. His mouth could almost taste the softness of them, but below...down the smooth pane of her stomach, past the lace fabric covering her center...until his eyes settled on the lace stocking bands hugging her thighs. He had no idea how much those turned him on (then again, maybe she did know? Maybe she heard him think it before and never knew?) In any case, he felt his dick throbbing against the restraint of his jeans at just the sight.

"Fucking hell" he uttered breathlessly.

Alex grinned. "Surprise, Sergeant."

"Where did you..." He had to swallow, letting his brain catch up to his mouth. "...Have you always had these?" He hooked a finger around one of her garter straps and gave a tug. "Why haven't you worn these before?"

"I can't reveal all my cards at once, can I? What fun would that be?"

The playfulness in her voice made Bucky even harder. Without warning, he lifted Alex up into his arms, hugging her close as he carried her further into his apartment. "I've been thinking about this morning all day" he uttered hoarsely, the level of his desire growing with every second.

Alex's dark eyes flirted with him. "Which part?"

He opened his bedroom door with a push of his hip. "How good it feels to hear your thoughts when I'm fucking you." He dropped her onto his bed on her back, admiring the length of her legs and the straps of her garters while he unbuttoned his shirt. "How incredible it is to feel you and hear you from the inside."

"I've been thinking the very same thing." Alex hungrily eyed the bare muscles of his torso and arms as he peeled the shirt from his body and tossed it carelessly to the floor. When he removed his pants and boxers, it gave her the view she craved and she bit her lip in response.

"Of course you thought the same..." Bucky climbed over her on the bed, his wicked grin lighting up his face. He lowered his mouth to kiss her but hesitated just an inch from her mouth. "..we practically share a brain now, doll." Alex moved her mouth closer, only to have Bucky pull away teasingly once more. "You want to see how deep this goes?"

Her answer breathlessly left her lips. "_Yes_."

Bucky could already feel Alex's powers reaching for him. He finally gave in and kissed her, letting the warmth of her powers spread into his body. When Bucky broke the kiss, he pulled back just enough to press his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. Alex did the same, and the transfer began. White light brightened the room as it encircled them. Their minds connected, and the bridge they discovered that morning returned. It happened even faster this time, and when they opened their eyes and stared at one another, their mouths each formed a smile.

_Did it work? _Alex searched his gaze with question.

Bucky nodded, pieces of his hair falling over his brow. _Sure did, darling. _His mouth quickly enveloped hers as he pushed his tongue inside, needing to taste her before his body exploded from impatience. Their tongues danced slowly at first, then more strongly as their thoughts entwined and fueled the heat of their desire. Bucky heard Alex's thoughts about how soft his lips were, how good he was, how the strength in his kiss made her weak, how the feel of his hands made her wet.

_Neck_, she told him, her hands sinking into his hair. She gave it a tug for emphasis; something she knew Bucky loved. He answered by kissing and licking the spot he knew she loved near the base of her neck. His hands lowered to her thighs, gripping one in his hand hard enough to elicit another moan from Alex's throat.

He cupped his large hand over her core, rubbing her through her panties. _I want this. _

Alex moaned when she felt the pad of his thumb press hard against her clit.

_But I want this more. _He pulled the fabric aside and slipped his a finger inside her, and Alex moaned harder.

_I want you, _she answered, feeling the heat of his finger as it pushed further inside. _Fill me, James. _

_How?_

_Deep._

Bucky uttered a soft laugh against her collarbone where he'd been kissing. _I know, doll - I meant what position..._

_Just fuck me. I need to feel you._

Her hand slipped between their bodies and then Bucky felt the tight grip of her fingers around his thickness. She stroked him slowly, coaxing a throaty groan from him.

_What if I didn't want to rush? _He struggled to keep his eyes open as she stroked him harder.

_You spent plenty of time between my legs already this morning. I shouldn't be greedy._

_What if I don't think that's nearly enough? _Bucky nipped at her lower lip. _What if I want more?_

_What if I want to try something even better?_

This caused him to halt, his thoughts coming to a sudden pause. He tilted his head as he met the devilish expression staring back at him. _What do you mean? _

Alex let go of his dick and pushed him back just enough so that she could shift beneath him. When she rolled onto her stomach, she glanced over his shoulder and wiggled her ass at him. _Something I've been wanting to try with you for a while now. _

Bucky heard more than just her words through their linked minds and it made him exhale hard. _Anal?_

Alex nodded. _Please?_

_But—_

_No, James. You won't hurt me. _

Alex obviously heard his concerns. His smile grew, and so did his hard-on; more than he thought physically possible. He pushed himself against her backside, feeling the sheer fabric of her stockings and the elastic straps rub against him. _And what if I ruin such a pretty outfit?_

_I was hoping you would._

Bucky let out an evil chuckle. _Dammit, Alexis...you know how to get to me. _

Her eyes spoke to him, even before her mind did. _And you know how to get to me. _She pressed her hips back against his, letting him feel the silky evidence that was soaking through her thong. His body was so square and so strong that her ass fit perfectly against him in this position; she could hardly wait to know what it felt like to have him somewhere she'd not had him yet. Their bodies were the perfect fit in so many ways, and with their bridged minds it had only gotten better. She was riding the high of their newfound power and this time, she knew just how much Bucky was riding that same high.

With his hand cupped around her jaw, Bucky pulled her mouth to his. Alex's moan was swiftly silenced by his, her mind being filled by his loving thoughts as they connected through their kiss. His hands moved to the clasp on her bra, releasing it and tossing it onto the floor next to his clothes. And then she felt her body being lifted up and onto the bed.

_I want to be close to you_. Bucky shifted onto his side behind her, her body spooned tight against him. _I want to feel every inch of you. See every expression. Hear every thought. Feel every part of you. _

His metal arm wrapped around her chest, the plates shifting into a semi-locked position as he held her against him. The metal of his fingers were warm as they took one of her breasts in his hand, kneading gently, while his other hand repositioned her leg so that her wet center was more exposed.

_For now, I want to enjoy this a little._

Bucky lined himself up to her folds and pushed inside. Alex moaned, but it was followed quickly by a sharp intake of air as he pushed his entire length inside her all at once. _Slow, James_.

_I know. _He kissed her neck, holding back a moan of his own as her body gripped him tightly. _I've got you. _

Alex's breathing evening out as his thrusts became more regular. _So good. So fucking good. _She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Bucky inside her, even as she felt his mouth smiling against her shoulder.

_You don't know the half of it._

_Oh, but I do know...now more than ever. _

She looked back with a grin, and saw those dimples she adored so much appear on his face. He tipped his mouth and joined with her once more in a slow, sensual embrace; their mouths connected at the same time their bodies were.

Bucky's hips began to rock a little harder and sweat began to form between them. As his speed increased, so did the sounds of their sweat-slicked bodies. He felt pressure building between his legs and knew it was time to give up the soft, warm home of Alex's body to something new. Something forbidden and exciting. Something he would have never considered an option, and certainly not back in the days of the war.

As he withdrew from her, Alex felt a sudden emptiness. She whined playfully, missing his thickness filling her and felt Bucky's soft laugh against her skin.

_Wider, baby. _

She shifted slightly, spreading herself more for him. Her heart raced inside her chest. _I've never done this before._

_We don't have to—_

_No, please, I want it._

Plenty slick from her pussy, Bucky pressed the head of his dick to her other hole and paused. His eyes connected with hers and he smirked. He pushed, and Alex felt her body spread for him. She exhaled at the feeling but kept her body as relaxed as possible.

_Keep going, _she told him.

Bucky pushed harder, sliding further inside. A groan rumbled from his chest as he sunk deeper yet. Alex's body was like a vice. _Fuck, baby..._

Her eyes met his; mouth curving into a smirk. _It's good, yeah?_

_Fucking amazing. _

_Go faster._

The blue of his eyes flashed with delight. _You sure?_

_Yes._

Bucky pushed as far in as he could and withdrew again, stretching her, fucking her. Alex felt his mouth pepper tender kisses along her neck down to her shoulder, coaxing her body to relax further for him, letting her know how much he loved her. How thankful he was for her. Soon, all Alex felt was fullness. Fullness in a way she never expected to love as much as she did. Reaching a hand back to cup his head, her eyes found his and their mouths joined once more as Bucky began fucking her faster. His hips rocked rhythmically, their moans mingling as the sound of their love making filled the bedroom.

There wasn't a moment when Bucky's mouth wasn't attached to Alex's skin in some way. He kissed her shoulders, her neck, the tattooed skin of her arm, the space between her ear and her neck, her lips whenever she gave them to him.

For Bucky, being this close to someone was as close to heaven as he thought he'd get. He never thought anyone would love him, and certainly not the way Alexis did. They shared their bodies, and he was grateful that she accepted him and let him give her the pleasure, but with their minds being connected...the emotions coming over him in that moment were utterly foreign. The thought that someone trusted him enough to share their body, let alone their private thoughts, shook him to the very core. Alex would never know, never _truly _know_, _what it meant to him.

And then Alex shifted her lust-filled gaze back at him and smiled, and the love that was in that smile told him she'd heard everything he was just thinking.

_I do know, James. _

_I'm yours, _he told her. _I'm yours forever._

His arms wrapped around her tighter, holding her as he fucked her. He closed his eyes and listened to her thoughts wrap around his mind:

_I love you, James.  
__We were meant to find one another.  
__You're my everything.  
__I love you. _

His guttural moans were like that of an animal in heat, but very quickly his voice became a little higher in pitch as he reached the pinnacle of his pleasure.

_Baby... _His breath was hot against her skin. _I'm close...I don't know how-_

_Cum in me, James. Fill me. Mark me. I'm yours._

"_FUCK_, Alex."

They were the first words verbally uttered between them as Bucky felt the pressure overwhelm him and gave into his climax. His body shook inside her, trembling from release, his mouth locked onto Alex's shoulder as he filled her with himself.

Alex grit her teeth as she felt the full force of Bucky in that final thrust, her body aching around him as he drove himself as far and as deep as he could. A tiny muffled moan came out as he quickly withdrew and left her body for the final time.

He drew her mouth to his, his lips soft and tender against hers. _I love you more than anything, Alexis. _

Alex pressed her sweaty forehead to his and closed her eyes. Inside his mind, she heard the word _forever _repeating over and over. _Forever. I'm yours forever_. Like a ripple in a pond, moving outwards, filling her mind with his promise over and over.

_Forever.  
__Forever.  
__Forever._


	17. Chapter 16

That night, a large, nearly full moon sat bright in the sky. The winter landscape around Avengers Headquarters was covered in frost; the grass and bare trees of the grounds sparkling in the gray light cast by the moon.

Inside Bucky's bedroom, it was far warmer. So much warmer that both Bucky and Alex had separated for the time. Bucky lay on his back, his metal arm detached and laying on the end table next to him. He was partially covered by his bed sheets; only half his waist and one leg remained free from the covers. Next to him, Alex lay on her side with her back facing him. They slept peacefully; the moon's shadow peeking in through the blinds to illuminate their naked bodies.

Everything was fine...until Alex's eyes snapped open at the sound of Bucky's labored breathing. It was heavy and ragged like he'd been running from something. His breathing quickly turned into painful pleading to someone somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

"Please...no more..._no more..._"

Alex turned to face him, her body seized by fear. "James?!"

His eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling, his teeth barred as if in pain. "Stop! MAKE IT STOP! _PLEASE_."

"James!" Alex shook him gently, but his eyes stayed on the ceiling. "James - it's me! You're okay!"

He closed his eyes and shook his head, his brow furrowing. _"Please..._I don't want to...don't make me..."

Alex didn't bother wasting any more time. She placed her hand on his chest and closed her eyes, and sent a burst of her power into his heart space. Once it wrapped around his heart and she could feel its ragged beat slow, she sent her powers into his mind. Here she swaddled him with comfort and love until the turbulence of his thoughts finally dissipated. When she opened her eyes, so did Bucky. As his head turned to face her, his eyes cleared and came into focus, though fear had transformed his expression into one full of terror.

"Alexis?"

She cupped his cheek tenderly. "It's me, babe. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you."

The look in his eyes made her heart ache. Like a frightened child, he stared at her with wonderment at what happened. The lines of his face were tight; frightened by something or someone she couldn't see. When he realized what had happened, the look of fear and questioning then changed to that of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry..."

"You don't have to be." She stroked Bucky's face lovingly, then moved to his bare chest where she could see the rapid rise and fall of each breath. She placed her palm flat over the center of his chest, warming him, letting him know she was there. It was anyone's guess what horrific scene disturbed him this night, like so many nights before. Sometimes she didn't want to know what he saw, or what part of his past he relived in the nightmares he had. But she was there for him no matter what. She would listen if it helped. If he didn't want to talk, then she would use her touch.

Beneath her palm, Bucky let out a long sigh as his body finally began to relax. Alex continued to move her hand in slow circles around his chest to soothe him further. She could tell it was working. His breathing slowed, his heart was no longer a banging drum beneath her fingers, and eventually - his eyes closed.

"Thank you" he whispered.

A smile tugged at her mouth. "You're welcome."

They stayed like this for a few minutes; Alex smoothing her palm over Bucky's chest while his mind and body returned to a normal state. Every now and then, Alex allowed her powers to spread from her hand to ease him further. Eventually, the two vertical lines in the center of his brow eased and the muscles in his face and neck softened. When his eyes opened and found hers, they looked like his eyes again. Their blue shade no longer appeared haunted but shone with the liveliness she was used to seeing in them.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much." The corner of his mouth lifted. "How do you feel?"

At first, Alex thought he was asking about how she felt about the nightmare. She quickly realized he meant her body after their intense coupling earlier in the night. "I feel fine...nothing different, really." She reached up to his face once more to brush her thumb over his full bottom lip. "You're sweet to ask."

Bucky leaned into her hand; her touch the only thing he needed in that moment. "I'm glad."

Alex kissed him, eager to feel the fullness of his mouth and the softness in his embrace. It was tender and innocent. No tongue. No depth of passion. Just one lover showing the other their affection. Bucky would always be her white knight, even after a terrible nightmare where it should have been _her_focusing on _him_. He'd always put himself second no matter how much she tried to protest. Perhaps it was the solider in him. The 40s boy. Or maybe it was the man he always was despite the horrors of his past.

Bucky reached his flesh arm around Alex's waist and hugged her closer. They lay together in the quiet darkness of the room with their thoughts running. Many minutes passed where they lay silently in one another's arms, but thoughts of the dream still lingered in Bucky's mind.

"That nightmare..." His voice was deep with defeat; his expression drawn and weary. "...it was a really bad one."

Alex shifted her eyes upward. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was Russia again. The early days."

He looked away, but said no more. Alex waited, not wanting to pressure him yet ready to listen all the same. She resumed slowly circling her palm over his chest as his eyes took on that faraway look again.

"Maybe we should do a session tomorrow" he said with some difficulty.

"If you want to, then we will." She held him by the chin as gently as she could, forcing his large eyes to turn her way. "You know I don't mind. I want to help you any way that I can."

His expression fell. "But it takes such a toll on you."

"You're worth every second, James."

Though she may not have been bound telepathically to Bucky in that moment, it didn't take much for her to see the hurt and confusion that remained inside him. So she let her lips do the rest of the talking, telling him through her embrace that their relationship wasn't just about the easy or fun times. Every moment they shared, even the uncomfortable ones, mattered to her. _He _mattered to her.

When Bucky pulled away, Alex saw that little rise in the corner of his mouth that had a way of transforming his face into something deadly handsome. Apparently, her kiss could heal him in ways even her powers couldn't.

"How about if I treat you to breakfast afterwards?" he offered.

Alex stifled a laugh. "You don't have to bribe me with food, babe."

"It's not bribery! Think of it more as a hard earned, well-deserved meal...and a thank you. For everything." He shifted his eyes past her waist to the parts of her body that he'd claimed with his own. Unspoken gratitude shone in his eyes.

This time, Alex let her laughter escape. "I'll agree, but only if you'll be making waffles."

Bucky leaned towards her mouth with a grin. "How about waffles with strawberries on top?"

"You know just how to get to me," she uttered with a chuckle.

Their lips met, and even through their kiss their smiles remained.

* * *

Bucky was up first that next morning. Before showering or doing anything of note, he had one task: to go down to Steve's apartment to see if he had any strawberries.

After slipping into his trusty pair of slouchy gray lounge pants, he quietly left Alex alone to continue sleeping while he walked the length of the apartment wing. It was almost 5 in the morning, so he didn't expect many others to be awake yet, though he knew Steve would be. For as long as he'd known him, Steve was always an early riser.

When he reached his front door, he knocked three times and waited. Just as expected, Steve appeared in the doorway looking showered and ready for the day and the sun hadn't even risen yet.

Steve took one look at him and a single eyebrow rose curiously. "Good morning?"

"You have any strawberries?" He scratched at the back of his neck. "Enough for putting on top of at least two waffles?"

"Waffles, huh." Steve folded his arms over his broad chest and smiled. "You make a promise before making sure you could deliver?"

"Yeah, yeah, save me the speech-"

"-Sounds an awful lot like the old Bucky I used to know."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Strawberries or no strawberries?"

"Oh I have some. I just wanted to give you shit." Steve stepped aside and allowed him to enter. "How's Markos doing? Her hand still good?"

They moved through the apartment to the kitchen, where Bucky leaned against the entryway wall. "She says it's like nothing happened at all. So all things considered, I'd say the repair will keep." He waited, watching as Steve rummaged through the inside of his refrigerator.

Steve handed him a container of berries, half of which had already been eaten. "That's great to hear. I know Banner was a little worried, considering the nerve damage."

"He had every right to be, but it worked out." Bucky exhaled, still thankful for all the positive things that science could do. "Plus, she's tough. Tougher than most might think."

"Maybe so...but not me" Steve replied, his honesty evident in the tone of his voice. "And clearly not you."

Bucky shook his head as he thought back to those first 48 hours inside Fury's home. "Thanks again for sticking with me through all of that. I know I can be a pain in the ass at times."

"At times?" Steve replied with a smirk.

Bucky knew better than to correct him on this one, so he copped to the remark willingly. Someday he would repay Steve for all the shit he put him through and for all the good things he'd done or risked on his behalf.

"Thanks for these as well." Bucky motioned to the strawberries, feeling a little guilty for asking for them. Knowing Steve and his healthy habits, he likely had a few more containers in there anyway.

"Hope she likes whatever you make." Steve's mouth lifted into a lopsided smirk. "I'm guessing she stayed the night?"

Glancing down at his shirtless body and worn-in sweats, Bucky figured it was no secret he'd had a busy night even despite the nightmare. "Yeah. I owe her breakfast and she loves waffles with berries on top, so..." He shrugged and smiled. "Kinda forgot I didn't have any, though."

Steve's eyes danced. "Dare I ask? Or is it top secret?"

"Top secret."

"Good or bad?"

"Good." Bucky couldn't help but smile. "Very good." This earned him a pat on the shoulder.

"Good on ya, buddy."

With a raise of the berry container, Bucky nodded his chin at the door. "I should get back. Thanks again."

Steve saw him out and wished him good luck on the breakfast making. Bucky hurried back to his own apartment, placed the berries in the kitchen, then showered and got himself somewhat ready for the day.

A day that would begin with Alex searching through his tattered memories.

Before that happened, Bucky wanted to do one more thing. He wanted to look back through his notebook for any recollection of past nightmares to see if there might be some connection. He still had that weird nagging in his mind like a distance echo; something telling him there was knowledge to be found here but he couldn't yet see it.

The dreams he'd been having the last several weeks, including those on his and Alex's vacation, always took place in the same lab in Russia. This wasn't much of a surprise, of course...considering everything that happened to him there. But with the revelation of Kovalenko, and that persistent feeling he had in the back of his mind, he wondered if maybe there was something he could find in his years of notes that could shed a little light.

As quietly as he could so as not to wake Alex, he opened the drawer to his desk where he kept his notebook. He took it with him out into the living room, feeling a moment of reservation about reviewing its contents. A large majority of his entries weren't exactly fun or inspiring. They were full of confusion, hurt, anger, and more confusion. Most were short entries of faded memories attempting to rise to the surface. Others were long-winded and angry rants.

Moving past his apprehension, Bucky settled onto his couch and opened the notebook. He flipped through the worn pages to some of his earliest entries; ones made in his bleak apartment in Bucharest. Here were the shortest entries: single words, sometimes phrases that didn't mean much. Random things he would remember. People's faces. And of course, Steve.

He flipped ahead to his time in Wakanda when his mind really started to transform. The entries became a little longer: signs of progress and emotional growth intermixed with nights of insomnia and days where he felt like he was going through drug withdrawal. But still...nothing that showed any idea of past nightmares or the kind of recollections he was hoping for.

"Good morning, Sergeant."

Startled, Bucky looked over the edge of the couch to see Alex's sleepy form shuffling slowly out to the living room. She was wearing the silk sleep set he'd bought her, looking as comfortable and beautiful as ever. Her hair was a delightful mess; its dark length tumbled over one shoulder in a slept-in, fucked-in tangle. It made him smile, as did the half-closed slumbery eyes that found his across the room. "Morning, darling."

Alex stood behind the couch and leaned over, hugging him around the shoulders. "Feel any better this morning?"

Bucky covered her arms with his own. "I do. A lot better." He closed his eyes and smiled when he felt her kiss his temple. She pressed her nose to his still-damp hair and took a long inhale.

"You smell amazing."

He exhaled a humble chuckle. "Thank you. Sorry I showered without you." Glancing back, he caught the slight twinkle in her eyes.

"There'll be plenty of time to make up for that."

She removed her arms and Bucky felt her warmth leave with her. Whether they were connected telepathically or not, it really was as if her powers sensed him any time she was around him. They reached out to him automatically now; an amazement all in its own. Even with just her arms wrapped around him, Bucky could feel a third presence between them in the way her powers connected them. There truly weren't enough words to describe how incredible it felt, or how grateful he was to have someone like her. "Did you sleep alright?" he asked. "After I woke you, I mean..." His eyes followed her as she took a seat in the armchair next to the couch.

"I did. And don't feel guilty about it." She lifted a finger at him in playful emphasis.

Bucky grinned. "I'm trying not to."

She let out a sigh that sounded more tired than she let on, but he said nothing. He did, however, see her eyes shift towards the notebook he'd set on the coffee table.

"Making an entry?"

"Trying to find old ones." He facially shrugged, feeling disappointed he hadn't found anything. "I was looking to see if maybe I'd written about my nightmares in the past or if I mentioned anyone who happened to be in them. Unfortunately, I found neither."

Alex's expression turned sympathetic. "We'll find something today. Together. We'll get to the bottom of this."

Bucky loved her for the confidence she had, especially when it came to helping him. All the same, he hated to ask her to do it. The nagging in his mind was getting the better of him, and even more so now that he learned about Kovalenko. He couldn't help but wonder if seeing her for the first time caused a piece of his memory to manifest itself in the form of a nightmare. In fact, if he was truthful with himself, it felt eerily like he was back on the island after he'd seen Boroshka for the first time.

Sitting across from him, Alex could tell Bucky was tormented by more than just his nightmares. She watched as he pressed his lips together in a moment of hesitation; like he wanted to say something else but was holding back. It was a clue she'd come to learn was his way of showing he was internally struggling. "Something's still bothering you, isn't it?"

Bucky looked at her, and a shadow passed over his eyes. "Remember my nightmares back on the island?"

She nodded. "You think last night was connected to those?"

"I don't know. Seems absurd, but after last night - all of this feels a lot like we're back there again. Ever since Fury showed me that recording of Kovalenko, I've had a nagging feeling in my brain. Same thing happened when I first saw Boroshka."

Alex pondered the possibilities. "Do you think you recognized her? The same way you thought you recognized Boroshka?" She saw the way Bucky's shoulders sagged from a weight he carried for decades, and would probably always carry in some way. When his gaze lifted, worry lay in the lines surrounding his eyes.

"I'm worried that I did" he answered. "I'm worried that she's in my past somewhere. Worse yet, if she is somewhere in my past, I should know about it before our mission, right? Before I face all of this again?"

Alex could see the struggle in his large eyes; an ocean of hope and apprehension in their color. She reached over and placed her hand on his knee. "That's the thing, babe. You won't have to face it all by yourself. Whatever we find, I'll help you - today, tomorrow, every step of the way."

Bucky felt a hint of Alex's powers warming him beneath her fingertips. It soothed him, if only just a little. "I'm sorry to ask you to go inside my memories again. I know sometimes the after effects aren't...pleasant."

"To be fair, James - I haven't puked in a long time."

They exchanged a knowing glance, their smiles a mirror of one another's.

With this, Alex stood and took his metal hand. "C'mon. Let's see if Kovalenko's anywhere inside that beautiful mind of yours."

He stood hesitantly. "Did you want to shower first? We don't have to do it right away."

Alex was about to argue, but then Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him silencing all argument she could have given.

"Better yet, how about you shower, I make breakfast, and we enjoy our morning before all the heavy stuff." He brushed a bit of her messy hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. "How's that sound?"

Between the alluring scent of Bucky's cologne or deodorant or whatever it was that calmed her in his arms, and the pair of soulful eyes gazing back at her, she would have agreed to just about anything. "I think that's a fantastic plan."

Bucky kissed her forehead. "Waffles with strawberries - coming right up."

* * *

The shower was glorious.  
The breakfast - and the company - was even better.

Alex could smell the batter from inside the washroom as she finished drying her hair and getting dressed. She chose a comfy sweater and jeans for the time being, not sure of where the day was going. Assuming she didn't have a serious visceral response to Bucky's memories and vomited afterwards, the sweater might last the whole day.

Then again, if she _did _puke...

Without further thought, Alex pulled the sweater up over her head and left it on Bucky's bed, wearing just the shirt she had on beneath. No need to spoil a perfectly nice sweater if she didn't need to.

She joined Bucky out in the kitchen for breakfast, where they shared all the goodies that he'd assembled for them: plenty of waffles, plenty of sugary berry topping (she made sure to give him a damn good kiss/borderline makeout session for that), and fresh coffee. They sat together at his kitchen counter on their respective stools but facing one another, lost in conversation about whatever came to mind - none of which involved work.

Alex did the honors of cleaning up and filling his dishwasher for him. Another subtle thank you for the banging breakfast (and the banging sex, for that matter).

And then it was time to get to work.

They settled in the center of Bucky's living room floor as they'd done so many times before, their legs crossed in front of them. Because Alex was far better at diving into Bucky's psyche than she used to be, it wasn't necessary to move all the furniture like they had to in the early days.

That being said, since Alex hadn't done one of these sessions with Bucky since before their vacation, she needed to clear her mind before they got going. "I may need a second or two to get into my zone, if you know what I mean."

"You're doing me a favor, doll. Take all the time you need."

Alex closed her eyes and the features of her face relaxed and went still. As he waited, Bucky cracked his neck and tried to clear his mind as well, hoping all of this wouldn't be a waste in the end. He never enjoyed putting Alexis through the emotional stress of doing one of these kinds of sessions, but he would hate it even more if it didn't result in anything positive.

"Okay" Alex said with a calm exhale. "I think I'm ready."

Bucky closed his eyes. "Whenever you're ready." He felt her hands on his chest, followed by the warmth of her powers as they spread into his body. Unlike a transfer, there was no subtle tugging sensation on the muscles or bones. Only a calm, comfortable cradling around his frayed memory. It was only when Alex latched on to something in his past that the discomfort came.

And came, it did.

In the deepest reaches of Bucky's memory, decades before they ever met, Alexis sifted through the dark and haunted images she found there. She pushed past torture. Past hurt. Past loneliness. Past all the memories that came from the various places Bucky was worked on and the prisons he was kept inside until Hydra needed him to kill. Flashes of pain surfaced time and time again, and Alex did her best to move past them without feeling a reaction to them. To do so required a tremendous amount of concentration and focus; she couldn't linger too long on any one scene she saw because she risked losing herself in it. The things she saw inside Bucky's memories were things she would never get used to, but luckily the process of looking past them to find the memory was something she'd gotten a little quicker at doing.

Beneath her hands she felt the hard muscle of Bucky's chest, grounding her any time a memory threatened to knock her off her search. When she dug deeper and went further back in time, she could sense a tremor in his breathing. She held on, pushed further, and went into the parts of his history that involved his early years with Hydra. The years following the train accident. The moment his entire life changed.

Names. Places. Faces. Pairs of bright eyes staring back at her. They flicked by, one by one, until she saw something that caused her to pause. The memory felt familiar to her somehow. Had she seen this one before? Why hadn't she removed the emotions around it, then?

When she paused, her powers ignited. They were ringing in her ears, telling her to explore the memory. She pushed further, discovering the memory's location was another Russian lair where Hydra influenced Bucky. It was a gray building. Possibly made of stone or concrete. It was dark; a single light bulb hung from a loose wire in the ceiling, illuminating the faces there. Two men in black and red uniforms stood next to Bucky, who remained motionless and his gaze sternly fixed at whatever was in front of him.

_The shorter of the two men spoke first. "These are the original selections, Sir. Do they appear as though they can withstand what will be asked of them?"_

_The other man nodded. "Yes, they will do. We will have to test them, of course." His eyes flicked towards Bucky. "To see if we can achieve success." With this, the man waved his hand to whoever was beyond the shadows. "Step forward please. One at a time." _

Alex looked through the darkness on the other side of the room and saw five women step forward in succession. They were all young. All blonde. All bright eyed. All without a hint of expression on their beautiful, plain faces.

Through her hands, Alex felt her powers burn. She stayed with the memory and pushed into it further. She could feel Bucky's emotions now. They were thick like tar. Sticky. Unmoving. Unwilling. She pushed into them, wrapping her powers around them to bring them into focus. The women's faces became clearer, and one of them stepped ahead of the others at the command of one of the uniformed men.

_"You show great promise, and your bloodline has stood the test of time. There is no doubt you are our top candidate for breeding."_

Alex felt a shock of fear tear through her chest.

_"You will be the first to test our subject, but not yet. He is not ready."_

Alex watched as the man shoved Bucky forward. Bucky took one confident step forward and his clear eyes lowered slowly to the woman in front of him. No expression emerged on his face, but the woman smiled. It was tight. A combination of unease and awe simmering beneath the straight line of her lips.

When Alex saw that smile, she knew who it belonged to.

_The man turned and stared at Bucky. _"_Soldier, when we're ready, you will breed with her. Do you understand?" _

_Bucky nodded obediently. His expression remained blank. _

Alex felt her gut twist into a knot.

_The man turned to the young woman. "We will let you know when he's ready, and then you'll be taken to a separate cell. Your father has given us specific orders to ensure you are not injured by the subject in the process, so we will monitor the mating."_

The knot inside Alex's gut grew heavy and she began to feel light headed. Outside her, Bucky's breathing hitched and became ragged.

_"Do you accept the responsibility of being the first to test this program, Oxana?" _

_Oxana Kovalenko's smile grew. "For Hydra, I would do anything."_

_The man's lips peeled back into a pleased smile. "We know."_

A desperate whine issued from Alex's throat as her hands began to shake. She didn't want to see this. She didn't want to witness this memory.

Beneath her hands, Bucky's trembling grew stronger.

_"Take him back and put him under ice. We don't need him further." The man patted Bucky's heavily armed chest. "You may just be of greater use to us yet, Soldier." _

_The woman's tight line of a mouth barely edged wider. Her smile, if that's what you could call it, turned sadistic. "May I try?"_

_The two uniformed men glanced at one another. The shorter of the men shrugged, but there was a moment's hesitation with the taller man. With a jerk of his chin, he nodded at one of the nearby handlers. _

_The handler stepped forward and handed his electro-staff over to Oxana._

_It was the first time Oxana Kovalenko truly smiled. She jabbed the end of the staff into the metal of Bucky's arm and he buckled at the knees. Oxana electrocuted him again, and he screamed._

Bucky's horrified scream ripped through the memory, rattling Alex's brain. She pulled back from as fast as she could, flying past decades of torment and pain and memories similar to the one she just witnessed, up towards the surface of his psyche until her powers shot back into her hands, up her arms, and back into her chest where they settled once again deep within their well.

Breathing hard, Alex felt sick to her stomach. When she lifted her gaze, she found Bucky staring back at her, the whites of his eyes visible from fear.

"Alexis?"

Alex felt her chest shake, her breathing rapid and uncontrolled. "You said that you...you said that they...they didn't breed you..."

"They didn't."

"But Kovalenko?" She raised her eyes as tears burned hot inside them. "She was supposed to be..." Her voice dwindled pathetically. She couldn't even say it.

Bucky was shaking his head. "I had no idea. I never expected her to be there-"

Alex held her hand up to stop him.

She needed a minute. She needed to catch her breath and to erase what she just saw. To remove the thick, disgusting emotions she just felt. She needed a minute to tell herself everything was okay. To tell herself the _hate _she had in that moment for Oxana Kovalenko didn't just launch into a new realm of rage she never expected to feel.

Across from her, feeling his own breathing shaking from his blooming fear, Bucky shifted onto his knees. "Talk to me. Please."

Inside her own memory, Alex remembered the conversation she had with Kovalenko over a week ago. She remembered the words Kovalenko said to her and the way she'd said them: "_I was impressed to hear that Sergeant Barnes has improved beyond his limitations. Your relationship must be helping him so much."_

She didn't realize it then, but now..._now _she understood the tone that Kovalenko had used with her. It was that of someone who was jealous. Someone who was full of resentment. Their conversation made complete sense now. Why Kovalenko had brought up such things in the conference room that day. Why the men came after her on the rooftop. Why they'd been instructed to disable her hands. The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly, and Alex felt her rage building even further.

"Alexis?" Bucky took her hands in his. "Please talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking. Please?"

Alex raised her eyes, feeling her resolve harden like stone. "I'm going to kill Oxana Kovalenko" she replied simply. "And I'm going to enjoy every second of it."


	18. Chapter 17

Four stories beneath the ground level of Avengers Headquarters, Alex stood at the end of one of the shooting range stalls, a 9mm handgun in each hand. Her expression was filled with simmering rage and her stance was aggressive; arms extended and stiff as she fired the guns in tandem. Virtual targets in holographic form appeared at various angles and speeds down the tunnel beyond Alex's position. Her dark eyes never left the targets, even when the clip of ammo emptied. She simply unloaded the clip, slapped a new one inside the base of the gun without blinking, and began firing again.

The designs of the targets were made to look like aliens. Others were made to look like humans. Male. Female. Alien. Didn't matter. Alexis saw Oxana Kovalenko in all of them.

She was angry and confused and she hated those emotions. She spent too many years of her life wallowing in those emotions, so whenever she felt them again it was like ripping open a wound that had just started to finally heal. The anger and confusion over what she'd seen inside Bucky's memories wrapped itself around her mind and created a new level of rage inside her that hadn't been there before. She tried to understand the reasoning _behind _those emotions, but that only angered her further.

Was it because _she _was jealous?  
Jealous of Oxana?  
Jealous of someone who almost had Bucky's baby, whether it was forced or not?

Alex's lip curled and her grip intensified. She blasted through more targets and let the sound of the bullets leaving the guns purify her thoughts.

The thought of Hydra breeding humans like animals was one thing, but the thought of Bucky with someone else – _that _was at the heart of her rage. It had been there since the island when Boroshka first mentioned all of this, and it was very much inside her now.

So was it jealousy?  
Or was it fear of losing him?  
Had she been too comfortable in her relationship up to now?

Another clip emptied and Alex disengaged it, reloaded a new one, then resumed firing. Each emotion that bubbled to the surface she let go in each of the bullets she fired. Her anger fueled her, and her aim was flawless. Each target took a dead center blast to their forehead that would have caused an instant kill in real life. It should have made her feel better, but her thoughts only continued.

She wasn't mad at Bucky. She was angered and enraged by the thoughts that consumed her; the vivid images that filled her mind of him with someone else. Him being _desired _by someone else. Desired and tortured for fun by someone who was also willing to give herself over to be bred by the prized stallion. It made her sick.

But it wasn't just Kovalenko that invaded her thoughts. Alex could see the other women in her mind as well. Like some twisted nightmare, she saw their nubile bodies anchored beneath Bucky's larger frame, dominated by him and his size. She could hear his grunts and see the ripple of muscle and metal as he drove into them. Through it all, she could see that tight-lipped, smug smile of Kovalenko. She'd been Hydra's chosen female. She'd been their first choice to be Bucky's incubator. Worst of all, Kovalenko _knew _it.

Alex squeezed the triggers of each gun so hard her fingers went numb.

_That was no breeding.  
__It never happened._

She grit her teeth so hard it hurt her jaw.

_He's yours.  
__Your minds are connected.  
__You're meant to be together._

Hydra sterilized Bucky at some point. Was Kovalenko there for that? Did she laugh like she did when she tortured Bucky for fun? It made Alex's blood boil.

She fired more shots and let the heat of her anger billow around her. She didn't stop until all her ammo was depleted and there were no more targets to fire at. Only then did she lower her weapons; an eerie silence settling over the firing range. She remained staring down the tunnel at her destroyed targets with the same dark look on her face and the same overwhelming feeling of rage that sat prominent in her chest. As she put the guns down on the shelf in front of her, she could feel just how tightly she'd been holding on to them. Her fingers and joints were stiff as she massaged them, trying to loosen some of the tension that had built up there. In doing so, she felt her powers flicker; alerting her to someone's presence.

Because of her intense focus and turbulent thoughts, she hadn't even noticed Natasha standing near the entrance of the practice range. The red head had taken a few steps inside, but the rapid fire gun blasts were enough to keep her at a distance.

Alex lifted off her noise-cancelling headset. "Hey Nat."

Natasha made her way towards the stall slowly. "Sorry to interrupt."

"Sorry I didn't see you," Alex said in return. "Were you standing there long?"

"Long enough to see you obliterate most of those targets" Nat's expression turned curious. "You, uh... practicing for something?"

Alex glanced at the guns in front of her as she felt the raw edge of her anger flare. "You could say that."

"Something happen I should know about?"

"No, I just..." Alex uttered a tired sigh. "I'm just fucking frustrated."

"Clearly."

Nat smirked at her in that cool, knowing way she always did. It helped cut a bit of the tension Alex felt. Of all the people to walk in on her inside the practice range, she was glad it was Nat. "I just thought I'd come down here and let off a little steam" she told her. "You know - somewhere safe."

Nat glanced over her shoulder at the targets with some humor. "Not sure _they _would agree with that." She hoped her joke would be taken well, and it appeared it did. She watched as the dark haired beauty's shoulders lowered and her tension eased even further. "Whatever's bothering you...would it help to talk?"

The offer was temping. Alex considered spilling everything she felt to Natasha, but it wouldn't solve anything. Plus, everything she felt was in response to Bucky's memories and she swore to keep them private. Whatever issues she had, she would have to deal with them alone.

Propping herself against the edge of the shelf, Alex rolled her head in a slow circle. "A lot's happened in the past few days...maybe I just need more time to process it all."

Nat spotted a dark purple blotch near the base of Alex's neck and held back a smile. She also saw the pale indents where teeth had made the mark. Whatever time Alex had spent the past few days was clearly spent with Barnes. "I understand that. How's the hand doing, anyways?" she asked, needing to reroute her mind away from the mental image that was suddenly plaguing her.

"Thankfully, it's the least of my worries."

"And it definitely hasn't changed your shot."

Alex released an ironic chuckle. "Yeah, that is a big plus. Especially now."

Nat didn't want to pry, but it wasn't every day she saw someone (other than herself) fire a weapon with that much anger at targets that weren't even a threat. There had to be something else there. Judging by the fading hickey, she figured it wasn't Barnes. "I'm guessing a mission's come up?"

"Pending...but yes." Alex pushed away from the shelf and began to pace, her hands going to her hips. "You up for giving a fellow Avenger some advice?"

"How about giving a _friend _some advice?" Nat replied, her smile warm and inviting.

Alex smiled. "I'd like that very much." She paused for a moment, chewing her cheek thoughtfully. "You grew up in Russia. You worked for the KGB and know the Polish Underground. You know their people. You know how they tick. So I'm guessing you know more ways than I do on how to really make them hurt?"

It was a loaded question, and one Natasha hadn't been expecting. "Yeah, you could say I'm pretty well versed in that." She considered everything Alexis was asking and everything she _wasn't _asking at the same time, and it made her even more curious. "What do you want to know?"

"I need you to tell me how to get inside their heads" Alex answered. "What offends them. What makes them squirm. There's always a cultural aspect at play with our enemies, and I need to know theirs so I can use it against them."

Natasha's eyebrows shot upward. "Well, Markos - you certainly have my interested piqued."

"Good, because someone needs to die and I don't want it to be clean. Sometimes, it's not just about putting bullets in people's heads...it's about making them as uncomfortable as possible before I do so." Alex could feel her jaw tightening as she thought of Kovalenko. "I guess I'm asking you for ways on how to ensure that happens."

Nat's look of surprise disappeared. "Alright. If that's what you really want, then let's start with the most obvious: loyalty. Loyalty means everything to them. _Everything_. They pride themselves on being completely selfless in the name of something greater than themselves - even if that something is a lie. If you want to get into their heads, you need to play that angle. Make them think they've failed - or show them firsthand that they have."

Alex nodded. "That I can do. Easily. What else?"

Nat thought for a moment. "The next thing that comes to mind is family. Whether that means their biological family or their organization, any kind of threat to their family would cause a great deal of emotional harm."

Ideas began to form inside Alex's mind. If she could work this into her confrontation with Kovalenko, she could make the woman hurt more than with a bullet or a knife blade. She was going to die either way, Alex promised herself that. But this kill would be personal. More personal than any she'd had so far.

"I gotta ask..." Nat's keen gaze settled on her. "What's this all about, anyway?"

"All I can tell you is that it's a potential mission." It was all Alex could give her. She would keep her promise to Bucky that whatever memories she saw inside his mind would remain private. She adored Nat, but nothing could shake her promise, not even a friend.

"I understand" Nat replied with a nod. "I won't press further."

Alex's expression filled with sympathy. "I wish I could say more. All of this would probably make a lot more sense to you, but-"

"-Don't worry, Markos. I know how it works around here." Nat gave her a wink. "You don't have to worry about me."

Just as she said this, Alex felt her cell phone vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. She knew without looking that it was Bucky. She could feel his fear extending like an arm through their strange bond, even despite their minds not being connected. He was obviously concerned and more than likely afraid she was mad at him. The way she left his apartment earlier in a rush had been a bad move on her part. Bucky gave her the space she needed, only for her to end up down in the shooting range unleashing her anger through ammo. Now that it had been several hours with no word, Bucky was reaching out to her once more.

"Markos?"

Alex came out of her thoughts with a blink. "Sorry...I'm all over the place, I know." She reached into her back pocket and lifted out her cell. On the screen were four texts from Bucky and one missed call. Not wanting to read the messages in front of Nat, she locked the screen and gave her friend a genial smile. "I gotta run. We can continue this later, if you're around?"

"Anytime you need me, you know where to find me. For now..." Her eyes shifted to the guns on the shelf. "I think I'll just pick up where you left off."

With a wave of her hand, Alex gave her her blessing. "They're all yours. Thanks again for the talk."

As she exited the shooting range and the metal doors slid to a close behind her, Alex glanced down at the texts she missed:

_B: Are you okay?  
__B: I wish you would talk to me. Tell me what's going on inside your head. I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong.  
__B: If you're angry with me at all, I need to know.  
__B: I love you. _

Each one of Alex's heartbeats was a painful throb in her chest. She'd been wrong to isolate herself and try and figure this out on her own. It may have been how the old Alexis used to do things, and that wasn't her life anymore. She wasn't alone, and she didn't have to tackle her emotions alone anymore either.

It made her think of what Natasha had said about loyalty. Loyalty wasn't just a trait that could shake the foundation of her enemies. Loyalty was something that meant everything to her, and she knew it meant everything to Bucky as well. Decades of brainwashing and manipulation hadn't been able to shake the loyalty between him and Steve. And in the months she'd been with him, Bucky had proven his loyalty to her in his promises, in his actions, and in the way he just simply loved her. Loyalty was the language Bucky spoke in, so before she ever wanted to hurt Kovalenko with it, she needed to honor her loyalty to him and their relationship.

Alex felt her guilt piling on thicker with every step back to the apartment wing. When she came to Bucky's apartment, she raised her hand to knock only to have Bucky open the door before she could do so. She hesitated; surprised to see his large form appear in the doorway. "James?"

"I felt you" Bucky said, his voice low. "I could sense you coming before you even got here." He took a step into the hallway, his hands settling on the sides of her face. "Where have you been?"

His touch summoned her powers with vigor. Alex felt them rise through her chest out into her arms as she wrapped them around his boxy waist. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like I did." She kept her gaze turned down; afraid to look at him for fear of seeing the emotion inside those giant eyes. Instead, she felt his gentle touch as he cradled her head against his chest, his hand cupping the back of it protectively.

"No apologies, okay? Come inside. We can talk."

He guided her gently within and nudged the door closed with his foot. They stood together for a moment not saying anything, just holding one another, until Bucky pulled back and looked Alex in the eyes. "I know you're upset. I know _why _you're upset. But please - Alexis - I need you to talk to me. I _want _you to talk."

There was frailty to his voice when he spoke. And there wasn't just fear in his eyes, but there was also a need there. A need for her to lean on him; to allow him to be her rock when she needed.

"Don't close yourself off from the only person who wants to hear every single thought inside your head" Bucky pleaded. "I know too well what that's like, and I know it doesn't have to be that way."

Alex felt her emotions begin to take shape as tears. "I'm scared" she admitted quietly.

"Scared of what?"

She looked up at him. "Of losing you."

Bucky's expression clouded with sadness. "You know that won't happen. It'll _never _happen. No one could take me from you." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I told you that on our vacation and I'll tell you every single day of my life if I have to."

A pained smile tugged at Alex's mouth. "I admire your dedication."

"I'd do anything to prove it to you, as much as I need to. It's _you_, Alexis. It's always been you. I've never been more sure of anything in my life." His voice made it clear, but there was an edge of concern to it as well. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

Alex looked away again, feeling the hurt of her past echo in her body and through her words. "I have a lot of fear right now. Maybe because I've never been scared of losing someone in my life. Shit, James - I never _had _someone that I was afraid to lose before. And now all of this with Kovalenko..." She shook her head. "I'm convinced she wants you because of what happened - or didn't happen - with you in that memory. What if she tries something reckless? More reckless than a planned ambush?"

"She isn't going to take me from you" Bucky reiterated. He placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Hydra isn't going to take me from you. No one will. _No one."_

Alex stared into his eyes and saw nothing but tender understanding. His eyes could be so different at times, especially in moments like these. She could get lost in them; lost in the warmth and comfort she found in them. The man in the memory she saw was harder. Colder. In him were the same eyes, and yet so very different. They'd been lifeless in the memory; their color shallow and icy. Here in this room, with Bucky's gentle smile and an ocean of love staring back of her, Alex felt every word he said in her heart.

"I hope you know I'm not mad at you." She let her hands run over his chest thoughtfully. "I was never mad at you."

"I'm glad to hear that." A subtle smile played at his lips. "I was afraid you might be, though."

"Fear's just lurking everywhere today, isn't it?" She chanced a glance up at him as his hands came to rest on either side of her neck.

"The past won't win, and it doesn't define us. Not me, and not you either" Bucky told her encouragingly. "I know you how you've struggled with relationships in the past. I know you're used to closing yourself off from everyone - but you don't have to close yourself off from me every time you feel angry or anxious." His thumb brushed the side of her cheek as he smiled at her. "It's something I've had to work at myself so I know how hard it is to do, but we can work on it together."

_Together, _Alex thought as she felt her emotions resurface. _Loyalty. _All the things she was blessed with was standing right in front of her, promising her he wasn't going anywhere. And yet, the murky ball knotted within the pit of her stomach told her this next mission wouldn't be easy. As long as that notion existed, so would her fear.

Bucky offered a small smile. "I can almost hear you thinking."

"I should really stop. It's not good for me" Alex joked dully.

"You can't hide it from me anyways." He pointed between their foreheads with a smirk.

Alex couldn't help but grin. "Maybe I don't want to." She watched his shoulders relax, even as he drew her in for another hug.

"That's the best thing I could hear right now."

Alex closed her eyes and let the feel of his hands stroking her hair soothe her.

"Except maybe _I love you,_" he added.

Alex chuckled, but it was muffled by his arms. "I love you, James Buchanan Barnes."

Bucky rested his chin on the top of her head and smiled. "And I love you, Alexis Renee Markos."

* * *

Along the northern border of Ukraine, a private aircraft landed on a snow swept runway amid a barren landscape covered firmly in the grip of winter. Cold winds lashed at the aircraft, sending swirls of ice and snow around the blades as they slowed and the aircraft taxied to the end of the runway. Waiting for the aircraft was Oxana Kovalenko, flanked by three armed soldiers at her side. She stood like a pillar as she waited for the aircraft to pull forward. Dressed in a hooded parka framed by fur that billowed in the wind, she remained poised and still with her eyes fixed on the plane.

A set of airstairs dropped open from the aircraft's body and several uniformed Hydra agents filed down the stairway. They stood parallel to the opening and waited, rifles slung over their chests and held at the ready. An aged man then appeared and descended the airstairs. The soldiers waiting below saluted him in the manner of Hydra.

Oxana took a few steps forward while her soldiers stayed behind, waiting and watching protectively. Her face had been emotionless until now, and only when the man approached did she allow the tightest of smiles to appear. "Erik. So good to see you." She extended a gloved hand out to him. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Erik Dobrow shook her hand, though his expression remained impassive. "I hope there's good reason for this...meeting." He glanced back at Oxana's armed men.

"There is. Trust me." She clasped her hands in front of her. "I've arranged a separate transport to take you back to the bunker. You may bring as many of your men as you'd like."

Erik stared at her. "Last I checked, Oxana, you did not give the orders around here."

Oxana inhaled a controlled breath. "Plenty has changed, Erik. It's why I've called you here." She turned in a cloud of billowing snow and the men behind her cleared a path. "Come. It's time we took a look into the past and began to correct our mistakes."

Beneath his hood, Erik eyed the woman walking away from him. No woman, not even Oxana Kovalenko, turned her back to him. It was an obvious insult; one likely meant to provoke him. He knew this game and knew how to play it, but he wasn't in the mood for playing such games. Not now, and not in subzero temperatures.

With a reluctant wave over his shoulder, Erik motioned for his men to follow him to the caravan Oxana had provided. His men followed without question, but Erik had many questions. Questions that, if not answered by this meeting, would have dire consequences for the woman who'd turned her back to him.

The line of black SUVs drove a half hour back to the Hydra bunker. Here, they descended below ground to the heavily secured garage where vehicles, weapons, and most of the hideout's technological processing units were stored. Oxana disembarked her vehicle first, but did not wait for Erik before heading back to her office. She knew he would follow.

Erik took offense to this gesture as well. As he and his men filed out of their vehicles, he expected some sort of escort. It had been decades since he'd been back to this particular bunker and his memory wasn't as good as it once was.

Begrudgingly, he and his men took the elevator up to the first level where Oxana waited. Erik went in alone, motioning for his men to stand guard outside. When he entered the office, he found Oxana standing at a lengthy desk with at least a dozen computer monitors. Some monitors showed their various security feeds from cameras placed miles around the bunker's location.

Others, however, showed a man's face he hadn't expected to see, and another he didn't recognize.

"As you know from my rapid departure from Washington, I've had to quickly improve to get back to normal" Oxana told him. She held up her hands, her tight-lipped smile barely shifting. "My typing may be slower than usual, as a result. Please forgive me."

Erik stared at Oxana's hands. The skin where her fingertips should have been was now singed black and scaly in form. She'd removed whatever previous fingerprints she'd been using at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, and from the looks of it, was in the process of growing new ones.

He eyed her suspiciously before shifting his gaze toward the computer monitors. "What is all of this, Oxana?"

Oxana gave him a few extra seconds to stare at the files she'd brought up on the screens. "Certainly you remember _him?" _she said, alluding to Barnes' photo on the screen.

Erik scowled. "Of course I remember him."

"Then you should also remember he is no longer _ours_." Her eyes darkened, as did her stare. "Your unstable experiment that you insisted on employing on Tony Stark's private island did very little to secure him. Then again, his mind was never right. I wouldn't expect a single person, even without Boroshka's mental shortcomings, to bring him back to us. That's why I employed a team." She swallowed visibly. "But that also failed."

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to help me bring Barnes back into Hydra's custody."

Erik almost snorted. "He's one of them now. There's no way. The words don't work anymore. That's one thing Boroshka _did _manage to solidify for us."

"He was a loose cannon since day one and he should have never been sent to Stark's island" Oxana stated heatedly. "Had we chosen someone else, we may not be here right now."

Another insult with clear aim at himself and the choices he made years ago. Erik did his best to hold back his indignation. "Our focus has always been, and always will be, the complete acquisition of S.H.I.E.L.D.," he reminded her. "And with it, Steve Rogers."

"That's where you're mistaken," Oxana argued. "Wherever Barnes goes, Rogers goes. If we capture Barnes and bend him back to our will, Rogers won't be far behind. Why not try for two instead of one?"

"Apparently that isn't as easy an endeavor as you claim, now is it?" Erik fired back. His cold stare bore into her, reminding her of her own failure to secure Barnes.

"I underestimated many factors in my last attempt. It's why I called you here" she told him calmly. "It's why I've doubled the amount of men, increased my resources, and moved to a key location."

"Effectively taking ten steps backward into the past" he said with some amusement.

"I am not doing any such thing."

"We have to look to the _future_, Oxana" Erik continued. "What happened, happened. It's time to let it go and focus on where Hydra is headed next." With this, he paused. "Or are you still upset you never got what you really wanted out of Barnes?"

The control Oxana exercised over her emotions started to fail. "That is absolutely not what this is about."

Erik held back a sneer. Judging by her visible response, he highly doubted that.

"This is about reclaiming what is rightfully _ours_" she continued, the volume of her voice increasing. "This is about regaining a bit of Hydra's image after decades of failure-"

"-How _DARE _you speak of your family in such a way!" Erik shouted, silencing her. He lifted a finger to her face as he felt his anger rising. "You do not have the authority to speak this way. Not to me. Not to anyone. Do you understand?"

Oxana held her head proudly, but her answer was as submissive as it had been decades ago. "Yes, Sir."

Erik nodded in approval. He regained his composure quickly, but Oxana did not. He gave her a moment to cool down, using that time to idly glance at the photos on the computer screens. He could feel the vitriol emitting from her as he stood nearby, but it was what she deserved for turning her back to him earlier.

When he could sense her emotions had settled, he nodded towards the monitor showing a dark haired woman with espresso eyes that he didn't recognize. "Now tell me, who is this one?"

Oxana's body stiffened. "She is the reason my most recent attempt at securing Barnes failed."

"So a woman defeated you." The statement was flat and unamused as it left Erik's mouth. He could see how it visibly irritated Oxana and grew curious.

"She is a mutant."

"Tell me more."

"The details of her capabilities are in her file." Oxana was seething. "Though you'd be wise to know she is in a romantic relationship with Barnes."

Erik turned on his heels. "A what?"

"A romantic relationship." Oxana's nose flared. She didn't want to have to say it again.

Erik stared at the picture once more. "A romantic relationship" he mumbled, studying the file on the screen. An ironic smile crossed his face. "So that's what this is really all about, isn't it?" He faced Oxana and clasped his hands behind his back. "She ruined your attempt to secure Barnes, _and _she is fucking him on a regular basis. Something you also failed at completing."

Oxana did not respond. She didn't even bother to look Erik in the eyes.

This, of course, answered his question nonetheless. He almost felt a shred of pity for the woman in front of him. He turned back to the woman's file and skimmed through the description of her abilities, finding it all very curious. "Tell me what you want me to do, Oxana."

Pissed off beyond speaking, Oxana did not answer.

"You want me to help you kill these two? Or take them alive?" Erik considered his own question. "Do you really _want _Barnes alive?"

"Only if _she _dies," Oxana replied finally. She pointed one of her burnt fingertips at the woman's photo. "And I want to be the one who kills her."

Erik smirked. "But will you succeed?"

Oxana didn't hesitate. "Of course I will. I never make the same mistake twice."

* * *

"Stop moving."

"It tickles!"

"Oh, you're suddenly ticklish?" Alex smirked as she ran her hands over Bucky's back, her white light sending tiny curls around the muscles as she massaged them. "You never had a problem being ticklish before."

He moved his head off the floor where hey lay to try and look back at her. "You're the one who said I was one giant knot."

"Because you are" Alex replied, gently pushing his head back down. She sat straddled across the lower portion of his back while he lay flat on his stomach. In hopes of making him feel better _and _to make up for her absence most of the day, Alex decided to treat him to a massage. Of course, being who he was, Bucky couldn't allow that without some form of reciprocation. He offered to do her back after she was finished with his (and truth be told, she couldn't wait).

Alex pinched and pulled the muscles near the metal panel of his left shoulder, and Bucky let out a long groan. She hesitated, afraid what she was doing may have hurt. "You okay?"

"Never better" Bucky said through a content exhale. "Keep doing that area." He shifted his blue eyes back at her. "Please?"

Alex smirked and continued rubbing, alternating between gentle pulls and pinches and long slow strokes. Through her powers she could sense his body relaxing further and a sense of calm washing over him, which was exactly what her goal had been.

With him shirtless beneath her, she could really admire the peaks and valleys that made up the muscles of his back. His body was a work of art; chiseled and honed for speed and strength. Even with the metal panel that made up his left shoulder and the scarred tissue that bordered it, there was so much for Alex to admire. She focused her hands there, pushing her power into his muscles to give him some additional comfort. She knew this area bothered him the most and it was no secret why. The scarred lines that resembled claw scratches were once difficult for her to look at. Now, she looked at them with love and kneaded her hands around them with extra care, listening to the soft moans coming from below her.

"Fuck, that feels incredible" Bucky uttered.

"Doesn't hurt?"

"Not at all."

"How about if I do this?" Alex pinched and pulled with her thumb and index finger and watched as Bucky inhaled sharply.

"_Tickles_...it tickles..."

She chuckled. "Okay, just checking." She moved her hands up to his neck and began swirling her thumbs beneath his hair. Bucky's muscles melted beneath her hands and it made her smile. "Why don't we do this more often?"

"All you have to do is..._unf..._ask..._unnff..._doll."

"Same goes for you, too. There's no reason either of us have to walk around with this many knots." She dug her thumb into the rise of muscle at the nape of Bucky's neck and watched his face wince ever so slightly.

"Years of being tense" he mumbled against the floor. "Gonna need more than one of these sessions... _mmm..._right there."

Alex tried to hold back another laugh. She knew it was making him feel good, but just watching his facial expressions made the massage worthwhile. The way he scrunched his eyebrows together when she hit a knot, the way he left his mouth open after a moan as she eased off the pressure, it was so much fun to watch. In fact, giving him a massage was a little like sucking his dick. Watching him gave her all the clues she needed to make sure it was as good for him as possible...the only difference was the finale.

"I'm being too greedy now," Bucky admitted as Alex moved her hands down his spine. "It should be your turn."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I still feel knots."

His back rumbled beneath her as he laughed. "We'll be here for months if you think you're going to get them all tonight."

Alex shrugged. "I always loved a good challenge." She rolled her fingers and knuckles along the length of his spine, kneading the long line of muscles surrounding it. A part of her mind - the part that had bothered her all day - threatened to bring back images of Bucky driving himself into those women she'd seen in his memory. Every time the image tried to come back to her, she wrapped her powers around it and wiped it away. It took focus and energy, but it helped fizzle any concerns or worries that cropped up.

Unfortunately, this was something she couldn't hide. With Bucky as in tune as he was with her, he could sense whenever she had a moment of doubt or when an anxious thought came over her. Alex was in the middle of caressing the top half of his spine when he shifted beneath her and rolled onto his back. "Hey! What are you doing!?"

Bucky's hands settled on her hips. "You're letting your thoughts get to you again."

She shifted her eyes away. "No-"

"-Yeesssss." He turned her face gently back to his. "Which means you need my help. Which means you need my _hands_."

"But it's not my turn yet-James!"

She was being flipped onto her stomach beneath him and no argument could stop him. He tugged on the shirt she wore until it caught around her shoulders.

"Off, please."

With a roll of her eyes and a reluctant smile on her lips, Alex lifted her arms and let Bucky remove her shirt. She felt his large hands unhook her bra and pull it away from her body.

"Much better." His smile was audible. "My turn to relax you. Try not to think about anything. Just enjoy."

Alex moved her hands beneath her face and rested her cheek on them. She closed her eyes and let the combination of flesh and metal loosen the tightness in her back and shoulders. When Bucky hit a knot, she moaned - and realized now why he'd made so many different facial expressions.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" he said.

"Mmm hmmm."

"One good thing about this arm is that I can feel subtleties you can't." Bucky pressed his metal fingers into the curve of Alex's lower back. "Like this knot right here."

"Ooohhh holy shit." She shifted her back against his fingers as they dug deeper. "_Wow_."

Now it was Bucky's turn to smile. "Hold still."

Alex eyed him with sass. "But it tickles."

Leaning forward, Bucky gave her cheek a kiss. He was about to tease her some more, but the sound of his cell phone ringing brought everything to a pause. Both he and Alex looked over at the coffee table where his phone sat.

"Maybe you should answer that," she told him.

"No. For one night, especially tonight, we don't need to."

The phone kept ringing, and Alex hoped whoever it was could wait. When silence filled the room once more, Bucky's hands resumed their slow, methodical rubbing. Alex had just closed her eyes and began to relax when the cell phone rang again.

"You should really get that."

Bucky leaned forward and kissed Alex's temple before easing her head back onto the floor. "Tonight is about us. It can wait."

The ringing came to an end and was followed by silence. No more ringing occurred the rest of the night. It took a few minutes for Alex to reach the state of calmness she was in prior, but with Bucky's hands working her muscles, it was impossible not to. They spent the rest of the evening enjoying themselves, forgetting about past hurts and recent nightmares, and reminding one another that nothing could shake their love.

Down in Washington, DC, however - Nick fury hung up after his second attempt to reach Barnes. He tried Markos' cell next with the same result. No one was answering, much to his irritation.

The news that S.H.I.E.L.D. had located Kovalenko's whereabouts would have to wait.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope you are all staying healthy and well these days. There's only a few chapters left to go in this particular story and I'm already getting sad that it has to end! Thank you so much for the continued support of this story, as well as "Lonesome No More". It means more than you'll ever know.**


	19. Chapter 18

Alex tried three times to wake Bucky the next morning to no avail. A part of her didn't want him to have to wake up so early. He looked a delightful mess and comfortable as hell; his hair covering half of his face as he lay on his stomach, face pushed into the pillow and his lips slightly parted. As usual, he somehow managed to tangle himself in the sheets, so the lower half of him was only partially covered in a twist of dark blue around his waist.

After Alex woke to pee and checked her phone to see several missed calls from Nick Fury, she didn't really have a choice but _to _wake him. When she listened to the messages, she realized her and Bucky suddenly had a video conference with Fury in less than an hour. Ever since then, she'd been trying to wake him. His giant sleeping form wouldn't budge though, no matter how much she tried to stir him.

Glancing around the room, Alex tried to find something to rouse him with. She considered tickling him awake since he claimed to be so ticklish, but something else caught her eye. Across the room lay his metal arm, which he'd taken off and left on his desk before bed. She stared at it a while as she chewed her cheek. Without further thought, she lifted the arm and brought it over to the bed.

She moved the lifeless metal fingers over Bucky's face, gently pawing at him. "Jaaaaames..."

He groaned and pushed his face into the pillow further.

"Wakey wakey, Jamesy." She stuck one of his fingers near his nose and slowly poked him. She swallowed a laugh when his face subconsciously scrunched in response. "We have a meeting with Fury soon...better wake up!" She pushed the finger into his nose and his blue eyes opened. They centered on her first, then on the hand near his face.

"What the..."

Alex moved the arm away with a grin. "Do you know how long I've been trying to wake you?"

Bucky gave her a sleepy grin and rolled onto his back. "I'm sorry, love." He rubbed the stubble about his face with a yawn. "What time is it?"

"Almost 5:30."

"Did I hear you correctly? We have a meeting with Fury?"

Alex perched on next to Bucky on the bed. "Check your phone. He's the one who was calling last night." She eyed his bare body with appreciation as he pushed himself upright. Even when he wasn't flexing, the ripple of his sturdy abs were always present, and she was always grateful for the eyeful they provided.

"When's the meeting?" he asked, his mouth stretching into another yawn.

"At 6."

Bucky groaned and lay his head back against his still-broken headboard.

"I won't shower if you don't" Alex said with a grin.

"Deal." His drowsy eyes flicked between her and his arm resting in her lap. "Wanna help me?"

Alex leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "Of course."

It was a bit of a new routine for them after nights spent together: Bucky would remove his arm at night and then in the morning, Alex would help put it back on for him. It helped Bucky feel more comfortable about it, which was a huge step for him. He was never very comfortable taking it off in front of her, but little by little, his comfort level was increasing.

Alex began to gently remove the neoprene cuff he kept over his metal shoulder cap. "You know what all this means, don't you?"

Bucky nodded reluctantly. "I'm guessing the mission is about ready."

"Makes me wonder if your nightmares really are signals" she replied.

Bucky thought about this quietly as Alex gently reattached his arm. Once she got it into place, only Bucky had enough strength to lock it into position. He gripped the muscular curve of the bicep and twisted, initiating a locking sequence for all the metal plates. Alex watched with an awe that would likely never go away as the plates linked together and melded into place with his shoulder.

A wiggle of his wrist and a balled fist later, Bucky was pushing himself out of bed. He noticed with some pride when Alex's eyes fell below his waist, almost as a reflex.

"Let's just go for our run after we're done with Fury and kill two birds with one stone" she offered, eyes finally pulling back up to his face.

"Whatever Fury tells us, we may not be able to go for a run."

"Or we'll be so pissed, we'll need it."

Bucky couldn't help but smile. "True...Very true." He watched as she stood from the bed and gave him a look that suggested she was thinking of anything but running.

"Although I'd much rather have some more time alone with you..." She wrapped her hand around his soft length and gave a squeeze that made Bucky's eyelids flutter closed.

"Don't tease."

"I'm not..."

He opened his eyes; lust pooling in their bright color. "If you don't quit, we won't make the meeting."

"I can clearly feel that" Alex purred. He was growing in her hand as she said it and the firmness of it made her want him even more. She wanted to go another round with him fucking her ass, but there wasn't enough time. And truth be told, she probably wouldn't be able to move much afterwards.

So, with great reluctance, she released him and backed away. "Fine. But later?"

Bucky gripped her by the chin and pressed his lips to hers. "Deal."

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Bucky and Alex found themselves sitting inside the Avengers conference room. They were dressed as they had planned: Alex in a pair of workout tights and a neon green quarter-zip pullover, and Bucky in his blue ball hat, a gray hoodie, and black joggers. In the voicemails Fury left, he told them he planned on appearing via holographic presence from his office in DC. As such, Alex got the system up and running in the room.

Once finished, they waited silently for Fury to appear. They sat sipping their to-go cups of coffee as the minutes ticked by, each in their thoughts about what Fury might give away in this meeting. Bucky sat bouncing his knee anxiously. He thought about what was coming and what it meant to him to have this mission over and done with. Another part of his past had resurfaced; not just with Boroshka, but now with Oxana and the rest of them. He wanted to put a giant X over all of it and call it done.

Across the table, Alex could sense Bucky's focus increasing. It wasn't just the bouncing knee or the tense muscles around his mouth that tipped her off. He had that look in his eyes; the one he usually got before they began a mission and someone was about to die. It was the laser-tight focus of a hunter. She couldn't quite describe it...it was one of those things she could just _see_. Such a change from only a half hour or so ago.

She reached across the table and tapped her nails on the wooden surface. "Hey."

Bucky's eyes lifted.

"You're a special kind of handsome when you're serious like this."

His expression warmed a little. "You mean when my mind is running a marathon?"

"Something like that." She gave him an appreciative smile because knew what he was feeling. Her mind was doing it too, and it had every reason to. This stuff she was dealing with internally about Kovelenko - it would drive her mad if she let her mind really spiral like it had in the shooting range. She could use a bit of the energy from her powers to slow it, but Bucky didn't have that...at least not when she wasn't giving some of it to him.

It was another five minutes before Fury appeared virtually before them. He normally wasn't late like he was today, which didn't help their nerves any.

"Apologies for the delayed start" he told them as he leaned forward over his desk. "Been on the phone all morning trying to tie up loose ends that I wanted to do last night. Seems you two aren't the only ones impossible to get a hold of these days."

Alex picked up on the sarcasm as a hint for an explanation, but before she could get the words out of her mouth, Fury moved on.

"You'll be pleased to know we've located Oxana Kovalenko." With this, Fury turned to Bucky. "You may not be so pleased to know that she's hiding in one of Hydra's old labs."

Bucky's voice filled with a dark edge. "Which one?"

"Northern Ukraine."

Alex glanced over and saw a muscle twitch in Bucky's jaw. He simply nodded but said nothing further. Alex had seen many memories of his time in Ukraine; enough to know that if their mission was taking them there, it would be an even more personal fight for him.

Fury looked to Alex now. "Remember our drive from the museum when you were in DC?"

The look she gave him said _yes_, but she studied him with a shrewd eye. "Which part?"

"The part where I told you Maria Hill and I were working on something. That _something _is how we know where Kovalenko is." He eyed them both now with an exaggerated pause. "How we know she's armed herself with a dozen or so of Hydra's soldiers, and how we _also _know that your old pal Erik Dobrow is currently with her" he said as he turned to Bucky.

Again, Bucky responded only with silence.

Fury looked at Alex. "While Hydra thought they were being smart keeping a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D..._S.H.I.E.L.D. _had a mole as well. One that Maria and I put there." He smiled; a rare occurrence, in and of itself. "The moment we knew Claudia Burke wasn't who she was claiming to be, we sent that agent to the Polish Branch. Under disguise of course, acting as we instructed while keeping a low profile. Since then, the agent has been feeding us information, including her whereabouts and Dobrow's involvement."

It took a minute for Alex and Bucky to absorb what was being told to them. They had plenty of questions but knew better than to ask Fury about any of them just yet.

Bucky looked across the table at Alex and their eyes locked in shared understanding. His feelings were written all over his face, his expression giving way to his thoughts: _this isn't going to be easy. _

The sympathetic smile Alex gave in return showed him that she agreed.

"You're probably wondering when the mission will be declared?" Fury questioned.

Alex replied for the both of them. "Amongst other things, yes."

"All I can say is: soon. As such, I would suggest you both keep your phones close by, and turned _on._" Fury raised his eyebrow at them, his expression looking like that of an irritated parent.

The couple nodded, though both had to hold back a smirk.

"I would get yourselves ready in the meantime so that when the call does come, you're ready to go at a moment's notice - and I mean that." Fury gave a nod. "We'll talk again soon."

With that, he was gone.

Silence hung in the room. Alex and Bucky remained deep in their thoughts, reviewing everything Fury had told them and hinted at within the call.

When Alex glanced over at Bucky, he was already standing. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He grabbed his coffee cup, drained the remainder of the liquid in three gulps, and tossed the it into the trash. "You ready for a run?"

Alex didn't rise from her chair right away. She stayed still, looking into those blue eyes with love but trying to see beyond what he was showing her. "You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine."

With a clipped exhaled, Alex stood from the desk. "Yes, I'm ready for a run."

Bucky gave a single nod. "Good. Because I need it."

"And your answer?"

"I'm fine." Bucky walked to the door and held it open for her; a quiet signal that the discussion was over.

As Alex went to exit, she hesitated. "I'm with you every step of the way, James. In every mission. With Boroshka. With Dobrow. With Kovalenko." She placed her palm on his chest, sending a little tiny curl of white light and a wave of her power into his heart center.

The tight line that had been his mouth now eased. "And I'm with you" he told her quietly.

Alex smiled and then exited the room. Bucky wasn't far behind her, but he left his apprehensions about encountering two ghosts from his past back in the conference room.

* * *

After their run, Alex and Bucky parted ways for the morning. Before Alex went back to her apartment for a shower and to do some much needed laundry, she found herself taking the hallway that lead to Natasha'a apartment. Her mind had been running since her and Bucky's meeting with Fury, and the one thing popped into her mind required a visit to her red-headed friend's place...and a small favor. So Alexis knocked on the door in hopes that Natasha was actually around. It was early, but Nat had always been an early riser. Alex just hoped she wouldn't dock her much for her sweaty appearance.

When Nat answered the door, Alex let out a sigh of relief that was audible even to Nat, though it caused her brows to pinch together with worry. "Hey? Everything alright?"

"Remember that mission I told you about?" Alex asked her. "It's knocking on the doorstep now, and I was hoping I could borrow something from you for the mission."

Intrigued, Nat welcomed Alex inside. Alex could smell something delicious cooking...the strong smell of bacon was coming from the kitchen, as well as something doughy. She felt her stomach rumble and realized she hadn't eaten yet. Something else she'd need to add to her growing list of things to do. "Do you cook often, Nat?"

Behind her, Nat closed the door and folded her arms over her chest. "When I have the time, I do."

Alex turned and smiled. "Because damn if that doesn't smell good right now, whatever it is you're cooking."

"You're welcome to borrow some breakfast from me as well, along with whatever else you're about to ask me for" Nat teased. She gave Alex a wink and waved her towards the kitchen. "Contrary to what Rogers and Barton like to say about my cooking, _I _tend to think it's pretty good."

Walking into Nat's tidy kitchen, Alex saw the ingredients for a breakfast sandwich of some kind sitting out and waiting to be assembled as the bacon - which smelled even better now - finished cooking. Alex eyed it hungrily, but didn't feel right invading her friend's breakfast. "It looks amazing, Nat, but I only came for weapons."

"Weapons!?"

Nat smiled, and that little light that twinkled in her eyes whenever she truly smiled now shimmered happily. Alex almost forgot it was one of Nat's favorite topics. "Yeah...specifically your batons." She waited, watching as the smile on Nat's face slowly transformed into one of general surprise.

"This mission of yours just keeps getting more and more interesting."

"You wouldn't mind if I brought them along, would you?" The corner of Alex's mouth lifted. "I promise I'll put them to great use."

Nat considered this while she flipped a few strips of bacon in the pan. "I might be willing to part with them, yeah."

"I sense a 'but' somewhere in there," Alex added, garnering a chuckle from Natasha.

"Noooo, not really a 'but' - more like a 'why'?" She glanced over her shoulder. "I don't lend my babies to just anyone for any reason you know. It's gotta be good."

Alex leaned back against the kitchen table, one ankle crossed over the other. "Oh it's good, alright. Let's say this mission involves someone from Bucky's past...someone who may have liked to shock him for the fun of it, and I'd like to give her a taste of her own medicine."

The word 'her' got Natasha to turn around. "A woman?" Nat's eyes went round. "Who? An ex?!"

"No..._no. _No. Nothing like that."

The grin on Nat's face grew even more devilish. "I never pictured Barnes to be much of a ladies man, especially during the years he was traipsing around the globe offing people for Hydra."

The phrasing she used made Alex wince internally. "Because he wasn't. The woman in question isn't an ex in _any _form."

"Who is she, then? Or who _was_ she to him?"

The way Nat rested against the edge of the counter made her look as though she was readying herself for a good story. Alex wouldn't be able to tell her anything she was probably hoping for, but if she wanted to borrow the batons – she would at least give her something. "This woman…she, um...how do I put this...she wanted him more than he wanted her, let's say."

Nat's eyes went round. "Ooooo, this is getting _juicy_, Markos..."

"Stop!" Alex said with a laugh. "I swear it's _not_ what you're thinking. Honestly. This woman is a daughter of Hydra. A _literal _daughter of Hydra. She participated in way more than you're likely imagining, and she's way, _way _more sinister than you could imagine. Overall, she was just a kiss-ass that had one hell of a mean streak." With some resignation, she looked down at her hand. "Okay, she still _has _a mean streak."

The glance down at her hand didn't go unnoticed by Natasha. Her entire body language changed, as did her expression, as realization settled over her. "She was behind the ambush, wasn't she?"

Alex glanced up. She didn't answer her - she _couldn't _answer her - but Nat was wise enough to see the answer anyway. It caused Nat to raise a hand to her mouth while she put the pieces together on her own. Alex waited, and when she saw Natasha's jaw set in determination, she knew she had her own answer.

"Take them," Nat told her. "Take them and make that bitch pay."

Alex gave her a nod. "You have my promise on that."

* * *

That evening, Bucky and Alex readied their gear. Alex stood with her hands on her hips over their spread out collection of weapons on Bucky's living room floor. There were various guns, clips full of ammo, and a selection of grenades - enough to make it look like there were far more than just two people going on this mission. They already had their uniforms ready to go and the Quinjet was being readied down in the hangar as they spoke. All that was left was to ready their gear and to wait. To Alex, the waiting would be the most difficult part.

She looked over the weapons scattered about the floor and felt her anxiety growing. Not because of the mission itself, but for who she would encounter there. The woman - Kovalenko - would be her toughest fight yet, and not because the woman nearly split her hand into two pieces. She would hardly present much of a physical fight because of her age, but she would be her toughest mental obstacle to overcome.

Mental fights were something Alex hadn't been the most successful at. At least, not in her past. A lot of her early days fighting solo throughout New England had been both battles with herself and with those outside of her; the "bad guys" she targeted and got rid of. It always lead to more struggles within herself to control her power, to control her future, and find purpose in a confusing and lonely life.

_The past doesn't have to define us _Bucky said, and Alex would believe him. She needed to believe him. If nothing else, he was living proof that that sentiment was an honest one and she would lean on that notion going forward.

Bucky entered the room behind her, disrupting her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder to see him carrying another set of automatic rifles to add to the growing collection. Like the others, Bucky began to check the various parts of each one with the eye of an expert, his routine methodical and precise. When he caught Alex staring at him, he lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

"Do you think we have enough?" she joked, eyeing the rifle in his lap.

His mouth broke into a smile. "I hate to sound like an assassin here, but we could never have enough when it comes to these assholes."

"True" Alex conceded with a nod. "Which reminds me: I visited Nat earlier."

"Oh yeah?"

"I borrowed something of hers."

A hint of curiosity crossed Bucky's face. "...such as?"

Alex wondered if she should tell him or surprise him. Either way, he'd find out...and either way, she was bringing them. "Her batons."

Bucky lowered the gun he'd been cleaning. "Her _batons_?"

"I'm going to make sure Kovalenko knows what it feels like to be electrocuted. Over. And over. And Over." Her jaw set firmly. "What I saw her do to you in your memory, I'm going to make sure I do to her tenfold. I might even laugh when I do it...just for added effect."

Judging by the look on her face, Bucky could tell it wasn't up for debate. Her eyes had that hard darkness to them; the determination she carried with herself at all times had risen to the surface in ways that made her more beautiful than Bucky thought possible in any one woman. "Something tells me this isn't just another mission for you?"

"Is it for you?" she asked in return. "Has it ever been?"

Bucky lowered his eyes. The answer of course was _no_, and it certainly wouldn't be any different this time around. He placed the gun on the ground and stood. "I'm sorry about earlier...in the conference room."

"I'm not mad, James."

"I know - but I wasn't okay. At least...not as okay as I let on."

Alex smirked at him. "You don't think I know that?"

Bucky knew she did, and that's why he smirked back at her. They knew one another well enough at this point that even when their minds weren't linked; their connection was strong enough to sense what the other was thinking or feeling. It's why he felt guilty for brushing her off, and why he wanted to apologize. "I should have been more honest with you," he said. "I just wanted to get out of there to get some air."

"All I wanted to tell you" she said gently, "was that I know how difficult this will be for you. How difficult it will be to see Dobrow and Kovalenko again. I know the memory I saw was only one of many, especially with Dobrow. And Kovalenko..." The end of the sentence was clipped as she looked down, fiddling with one of her nails uneasily.

Bucky knew this fight wouldn't just be personal for him. With Kovalenko in the picture, Alex would be fighting her own personal battle. He knew why _he _wanted to kill Dobrow, and it was for more reasons than those being given to him within the mission orders. Even if he tried to distance himself from why he was going to kill him, it still didn't matter. His life after Wakanda wasn't only about fixing what was wrong inside his mind, but fixing what was wrong with the world that had made him the way he was. Most of the time, he didn't know the individuals he fought against when it came to Hydra. On the rare occasion, he did.

Alex didn't know any of them personally, but was taking it personal nonetheless for how they treated him, for the evil they harbored in their hearts, and for the more personal reasons she had against Kovalenko. All were viable, but Bucky knew the price of revenge. It slowly ate away at you whether you believed it did or not. He loved Alex for her resolve. He loved her for taking his side, regardless of the missions they stepped in to together. But it still worried him. As he saw it, he had two jobs to complete on this upcoming mission: kill the agents and end this chapter of madness in his life, and to do that while also ensuring Alexis was safe. Above all, he had to keep her safe so they could return from this and resume their lives together.

"Promise me something." He cupped Alex's face in his hands and lost himself in the deep chocolate hue that stared up at him. "We have to promise each other one thing before we go into this together: whatever happens, we don't let our anger at these people get in the way of us getting the job done and getting out of there safely. We're not doing this to punish them. We're doing this so we can get on with our lives."

"Spoken like a true Sergeant," she teased.

He flicked an eyebrow upward smartly. "I have some experience, you know."

"I _do _know" Alex replied. "And you're right. You're absolutely right." She found it hard to look away from Bucky in that moment. She was proud of him for so many reasons, but the truth he was speaking and the level-headedness he spoke with was why she was proud of him in that moment. A levelheaded, well-trained sergeant. Not the cold, dead-eyed warrior she'd seen in his memories. It amazed her to this day just how far he'd come from what those people had reduced him too.

"Our minds will be linked this time," she mentioned. "How about we promise to pull one another back if we get too close to the brink with our emotions?"

"I think that's a great idea." Bucky smiled as he pressed his lips to her mouth. "Just think: silent communication. Synchronized movements. We'll know everywhere we are at every movement. We'll share every command, every close call, every victory. For the first time in my life, there won't be anything unknown going into battle."

"You sure that's a good thing?" Alex asked. "What if something bad-"

"-No. Not while I'm there. No one will hurt you as long as I'm with you." He took her right hand in his; the one that had been gruesomely injured not even a week ago. The newly constructed flesh was as soft against his fingers as it had been before. The hole where he'd seen broken bone and grisly-looking muscle was now just as flawless as the rest of her. "You fought alone on that rooftop when they hurt you. I came too late." His eyes lifted and hardened. "Not this time."

The love Alex felt for him translated through to her powers. They began to hum inside her, their strength growing as though they were reaching through her, tugging outward from her chest with a desire to connect with him. "Do you feel that?" she asked.

Bucky nodded. "I do." The warmth of her powers was like a force field of comfort radiating outwards from her. He felt them tugging at him, and more than anything he wanted to feel that level of closeness with her again.

"Should I let it happen?"

"Might as well get a head start," Bucky said, his eyes crinkling at the corners kindly. He took a step closer and lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "Connect with me."

Alex closed her eyes and felt Bucky press his forehead to hers. She gave in to the need her powers had to join with him and felt a release of tingly warmth move from her body into his. White light encompassed them, connecting them, wrapping them within their supernatural bond. When it was over, they opened their eyes and felt the link between their minds without even questioning.

Across the room on the kitchen counter, both Bucky and Alex's cell phones began to ring in unison. They looked over and knew without looking that it was go-time.

The mission was on.

They would land in Ukraine by morning and begin this fight together.


	20. Chapter 19

Biting cold winds stung Bucky's face as he and Alexis descended from the Quinjet. He went first, helping her down onto the snow swept land of his nightmares. Just the feel of the wind seemed to usher a slew of memories he wished he could never recall. He strained to remember the look of his mother's face. The sound of his sisters' voices, the look of his bedroom in his first home...but in almost an instant, just upon feeling the winter winds of this land, he so easily remembered the pain that came with it. The cruelness of it was sometimes all he could focus on...but not today. Not now. Not with Alexis there.

Dressed in her black and purple bodysuit, her hair tied into a braid over one shoulder, she looked every bit the warrior he knew she was. Svelte. Lean. Flexible. Lethal. The pink color in her cheeks proved that she felt the cold more than he did, even after their transfer was completed before they landed. Still, her dark eyes were focused and clear; their chocolate hue brighter against the white of the landscape around them.

"You good?" he asked, his voice a level higher over the sound of the Quinjet's engines and the swirling winds.

Alexis nodded and initiated her suit gloves to cover her hands. "Lovely place" she added with some sarcasm.

Bucky's mouth kicked up at one side. "Our next vacation spot?" He watched as she gave him a semi-playful glare.

"Think again."

He gripped the back of her neck and squeezed. "I love you."

They exchanged a smile that spoke of the underlying anxiety they both felt, temporarily soothed by his admission of love.

Behind them, one of Stark's men unloaded their backpacks and additional gun holsters onto the snow beside them. They were already strapped with enough ammo to decimate a large building off its foundation, but like Bucky had said: they could never have enough when it came to Hydra. The packs were the last thing with which they would outfit themselves.

Bucky gave a nod of thanks and the man took leave of them. He saluted him and Alex as the Quinjet's hatch lifted upward and sealed itself closed. The aircraft pulled away, disappearing into the low cloud deck without a trace.

Handing her one of the backpacks, Bucky strapped her in and made sure it the pack was tight but comfortable. No loose straps to get in her way and all her weapons ready for quick unloading. It reminded him of their morning back on the island when they prepared to attack Boroshka. The only difference was that it had been warmer. Greener. More humid. But the enemy was no different.

_Now or never,_ Alex said through their bond.

Bucky loaded his own pack onto his back and set everything just the same, then lifted his rifle into his hands. _Follow me._

They began the trek towards the bunker. They landed only a mile out, knowing there wasn't much cover one way or another. Unlike Boroshka's hut, they couldn't avoid being seen this time around. Hydra kept underground sensors to monitor all movement, so concealing themselves wasn't even an option. Dobrow and Kovalenko would know they were coming, but knowing this had helped them formulate a plan. _And _a backup to that plan. The mile-long trek would play into that plan, bringing them in to the second entrance Hydra kept far from the main entrance. This would give them time to see what they were up against and react accordingly.

Plus...Bucky knew everything about this place. He didn't remember every minute detail, but he remembered. The winds and the snow had brought it back to him. His eyes scanned the horizon, noting subtleties in the snow where cameras and sensors were placed.

_Two to the east. One to the west. One dead ahead. See the slight indent in the snow?_

Alex squinted through the swirling winds, but she could see what Bucky was alluding to. _Yes. Cameras?_

_Thermo sensors. _He could almost hear her eyes roll.

_Great. Lovely._

He smiled.

The bunker itself was built into a small hillside. The geographic nature of this part of Ukraine was nearly featureless; bleak, windswept, shaped by harsh conditions almost all months of the year. Wherever a mound or small rolling hill was, Hydra built their hideaways beneath them. The bunker they approached was no different. Cold gray concrete doors were the only giveaway that they'd even arrived. The concrete was reinforced by impenetrable elements that boasted Hydra's scientific advancements, but Bucky knew all about how to get past them.

He also knew that Hydra always had more than one entrance. One kept for its guests. The other for its insiders, which was always some distance away from the main entrance. The reason was twofold: to give the impression there was only one way in or out, and to keep track of every single person who went in or out. Though he wasn't one of them anymore, Bucky would gladly use the bunker's insider-only entrance one final time.

Their trek ended at the hidden second entrance. It was built into the ground like a tunnel, hidden beneath snow and revealed only when security granted it. Thanks to Stark and his ingenuity, he was supplied with a makeshift biometric entry developed from his blood. Much like a special fingerprint for super soldiers, the security clearance for Hydra would scan the "blood card", as Stark had called it, and sense the serum within it. If successful, it would grant Bucky and Alex entrance to the bunker without fanfare.

At least, that's what Stark told them.

The security monitor was a panel that hid below ground. With its own thermo-sensor, it automatically popped out of the ground when Bucky and Alex approached and unfolded a small computer screen the size of a cell phone. Bucky lifted the blood card up to the monitor and it began to scan for his serum.

A minute passed. Alex glanced at Bucky as they waited. _Is something wrong?_

_Don't know._ He scanned the wintry landscape around them, searching for any kind of movement or any sense that someone was watching them. Luckily, he sensed nothing.

The panel made a tiny beeping noise and ejected the blood card. Russian letters appeared on the screen as the panel flashed green.

_What does it say? _Alex asked.

Bucky sheathed the card inside one of his vest pockets with a tightened jaw. _Welcome, Winter Soldier. _The words had left an icy feel along his spine; like a ghost rising from the past before his eyes.

Alex stared at him, even as the layer of snow concealing the entryway melted backward to reveal a massive set of doors in the ground. A grinding sound could be heard as three sets of reinforced metal and concrete flushed open to accept them.

_Rifle up,_ Bucky told her. He raised his own and was about to enter, but Alex's hand on his arm halted him.

_Are you okay?_

A question laced with concern and love. She knew walking into this bunker meant more to him than just a mission. It meant walking back into a living memory; one far worse than any she tried to remove or heal in his mind.

He took one look at the doors before them before returning his gaze to Alex. _Yes_._ I have you._

Alex smiled, and the sight of it warmed his heart. _I'm with you all the way. Same as on the island. _As if to prove it, she took the first step towards the now open bunker doors.

Bucky followed, entering shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He heard the _clack_ of her cocking her rifle, the nose of it lifted before her as they took one cautious step after another inside the tunnel.

It was cold. Bitterly cold.  
Just as Bucky remembered.

Somewhere inside this place was his old cell. The cell from his nightmares where they tortured him. Molded his mind. Inflicted pain and forced obedience from him against his will. Somewhere inside this place that cell likely still waited. He hoped he wouldn't have to see it.

Next to him, Alex felt and heard his fear in her mind. Her sympathetic gaze shifted his way. _If you do end up seeing it, I'll be with you. You won't have to do it alone. _

_I don't want to do it at all._

_I know, babe._

_Stay focused_, he told her - as well as himself. _We have a long way to go before that moment, if it comes._

Alex's thoughts went quiet again; a testament of her following orders. A testament of her trust. She followed him into these places to hunt these people because she loved him. He would lead her into this horrific place, but he would lead her out again. That was his promise.

The stalked one concrete hallway after another as they traveled further into the bunker. Cameras were everywhere. There was no way those within its walls didn't know they were here by now, and yet...all was eerily quiet. The hum of a machine in the distance. A trickle of water somewhere nearby. But that was it.

_Where are they? _Bucky thought.

Alex heard him, of course. She glared down the nose of her rifle. _Buying their time until we walk into their trap. _

_You remember the plan?_

_I do._

_Then don't hesitate. Don't blink. Do exactly what we discussed._

_I will. _Her eyes flicked his way. _Please be careful. _

A strained smile barely quirked his mouth. _You too, doll. _

They rounded the corner and felt warmer air hit them. Wherever this maze lead them, it was evidently leading them closer to the heart of the bunker. Bucky tried to remember which hallway lead where, but his memory wasn't repaired enough to give him that kind of detail. He pushed onward carefully, gun poised and ready. They came to another curve in the hallway but Bucky halted, fist raised in a gesture that stopped Alex from moving.

_Hear that?_

Her eyes grew larger. _Footsteps. _

Bucky nodded. _Be ready. _

He took the first steps to round the corner and the gun fire was immediate. Five Hydra soldiers stood at the end of the hallway, but they dropped in a spray of blood as Bucky expertly took them out one by one. He blocked three shots with his outstretched metal hand while firing with the other. They were dead in less than 15 seconds.

_Safe. Come out. _

Alex turned the corner and saw the bodies. _There's gotta be more. _

_Without a doubt. Stay behind me. _

They pushed onward and encountered a larger rush of soldiers. Bullets rang off the walls, showering them with fragments of splintered concrete and stone. Behind them, a second wave of soldiers arrived in an attempt to corner them.

Given that the couple wasn't just connected by physical characteristics, but also mentally linked, the soldiers stood no chance. Bucky and Alex were a perfect mirror of one another, their movements precise and quick. They moved in perfect unison; their guns firing at the exact same time as they sent bodies flying backward. Bucky crouched as Alex flipped over his back, landed behind him, and began firing. They turned in a circle, backs to one another, silently speaking through their link as they aimed, fired, and killed.

_Grenade. _

_On it. _

Alex threw a ball grenade down the hall and spun. Bucky shot the grenade before it landed, watching as it exploded in the faces of the soldiers, killing them instantly. The couple turned once more, backs together, and repeated their movement down the other hallway. When the grenade exploded and the rest of the bodies dropped in a pool of blood, the couple ran.

They cleared the bodies, leaping over them and headed down a different hallway. At one point, Bucky glanced over at Alex. _Not bad for a first time doing this, huh?_

She pushed him playfully in the side and increased her speed.

They turned another corner, feeling a rush of warmer air hit them. Beyond, the hallway came to a split at the end, one side peeling off to the left; the other to the right. When Bucky and Alex reached the split, they slowed to a stop.

_Which way? _Alex asked.

Bucky shook his head. He didn't know. He couldn't remember.

Above them, a voice rattled the empty hallway, coming from a speaker they couldn't see. "We were wondering what kind of entrance you would make when you arrived, Soldier."

_Dobrow_. Bucky raised his rifle to his shoulder. _Don't say anything. _

Alex's powers came to life in a way that Bucky could feel in his own chest and arms. The tingling sensation was like a fire being lit across his skin, tugging at his chest as though it wanted to be set free. She held her rifle close as her dark eyes scanned the hallways around them.

"Don't worry. We aren't sending another welcoming party," Dobrow's voice continued. "We've decided to forgo force and instead, attempt to use cooperation. As such, we would like to speak with you. Alone."

"Not happening" Bucky growled. He could feel his pulse throbbing in his ears as his anger spiked and honed his concentration. "You want to talk? Come out of hiding."

"In due time" Dobrow answered. The faint echo of his voice sounded hollow against the concrete walls.

Beyond the split hallways were two separate sets of doors. They opened in unison, one leading to an extended corridor to the left and another down to the right. Bucky and Alex looked beyond each to find nothing but more concrete and metal.

"If you cooperate, you may find that we may come to terms we can both agree to" said Dobrow. "But cooperation is key."

_He's lying_.

Alex was glaring now, her dark brows furrowed and harsh. _I know._ _It's all they know how to do. _

_Whatever he says, we do not split up. _

"I see that you managed to repair your hand, dear."

Alex spun around at the sound of the female voice. She took a step towards the hallway to her right where Kovalenko's voice was coming from but could see nothing. _James. It's her. _

_Don't answer her. Don't say anything. _

"Amazing what technology can do, no?"

Kovalenko's words curled Alex's lip into a snarl. She raised her rifle higher, ready to kill the first person who dared to show up in that hallway.

"Science seems to have cured your...mate...as well" Kovalenko continued.

_I'll kill the bitch. _

Bucky felt Alex's powers flare as he listened to her words inside his mind. He could feel her heartbeat racing. Her blood ran both cold and hot, pumping hard but slowing to a chilled stop all the same.

He knew the feeling. He knew the feeling all too well.

"Why don't we have a chat? Work a few things out?" Kovalenko proposed. "There's so much I'd like to discuss."

"I agree, Soldier." Dobrow's voice sounded again, this time from the opposite hallway. "Why don't we let the ladies work things out while we men have our own discussion? It'll be like old times."

Bucky's back was to Alex; a few paces separating them. Their stares were focused down their separate hallways, searching for who the voices belonged to and if they would show themselves.

And then Bucky felt a shiver in Alex's powers as though it was his own. _Alexis?_

_Something's not right. Someone's coming-_

A grinding sound came from above them. They turned to see a metal panel appear from the ceiling of the hall as it slid down between the two of them, effectively separating them.

"ALEX" Bucky shouted, his fist pounding hard against the metal. "Alex! Can you hear me?" He could feel her fear explode inside his own body.

"James!?"

Bucky dropped his rifle as the plates of his arm locked into position. He began pummeling the panel with his fist, the shape of his metal knuckles leaving indents with each heavy punch. "ALEXIS!"

On the other side of the wall, Alex stood horrified. She watched as Bucky's hand punched harder and harder, his breathing as heavy as the power he put into those punches. She felt his urgency. His fear. His anger. His emotions were a storm cloud that gathered around her, her body taking the rush of his panic as he fought to break the wall between them.

"Come now, dear. It's time we talked a little bit."

Alex whipped around to find Kovalenko standing at the end of her hallway. She was dressed in a Hydra uniform; all black and red, with a single patch on the shoulder bearing their emblem. On her face was that same smug, tight smile. She seemed pleased. Even a bit humored.

"He always was a fighter, wasn't he?" Her clear eyes barely acknowledged Bucky's cries and the sound of metal against metal as he drove his hand harder against the panel.

_James-_

_I won't leave you, Alexis!_

"I want to apologize for what happened to your hand," Kovalenko continued. "I didn't mean for my men to leave such a messy job unfinished."

Alex growled so loudly that Bucky heard it on the other side of the wall. She aimed her rifle dead center of the woman's forehead and pulled the trigger, unleashing an entire magazine of bullets. She expected the body to jump backward from the fire power but instead, the bullets passed right through and sprayed the wall behind her, breaking the concrete as the bullets fell to the floor.

Alex lowered the gun in shock, eyes unblinking, as she stared at Kovalenko down the hallway. _A hologram. _Kovalenko wasn't there at all. It was just a projection.

Kovalenko remained standing, her tight lips unmoving. "Nice try, dear, but don't you think we anticipated this?"

The punching on the other side of the wall stopped. _Alexis? Are you okay? What is she saying? _

Alex's eyes remained on the hologram, but her mind answered Bucky. _I'm fine. Are you okay?_

_Yes. I'll find a way to get to you. I promise._

She turned regretfully from the image of Kovalenko to face the wall. _They're using holograms, James. They may not even be here. _

_They're here. We'll find them. I've got to get to you first, okay? I won't leave you._

Alex heard the sound of him lifting his rifle off the ground. She felt his every move and heard his every thought as he reasoned out a plan inside his mind on how to get to her. She walked up to the wall and put her hand against the panel. _James. Listen. We still have our bond. If we have to do this mission separately, we are still with each other. We can do this. If they want us separated, well, then...the joke's on them, isn't it?_

A breath of silence, and then Alex felt Bucky's hand press against the metal across from hers. Through their bond they could sense where the other was - enough that they knew where their hand was against the panel.

_I will find you. There's a way out of this, and I might remember it. I don't know yet. I need to see. I have to leave this spot in order to find it, but I WILL find you. _

Alex rested her head against the metal. _I'll find you too. We'll be with each other every step of the way. _

_I love you._

_I love you too. _

Alex heard him take off at a lumbered sprint, his boots echoing down the hall until she could no longer hear them. Behind her, the holographic image of Kovalenko began to chuckle.

"You two aren't much for words, are you?"

Alex smirked at the metal she was still facing, then wiped it from her face as she turned back towards Kovalenko. "You think you know everything, don't you? You think you have us cornered? In the exact place you and your boy, Erik, planned to get us in?" She shook her head as her grin turned vicious. "Think again, Oxana. I know all about you...your past...your _failed purpose _within Hydra. You may think you're one step ahead of us, but - once again - _you're wrong._"

Kovalenko's expression turned sour. "I never much liked you from our brief interactions," she told her. "And I like you even less now."

Alex saw Kovalenko nod subtly off to her side. There was a push of air above her as tiny vents began to open. Alex looked up and saw a cloud of orange smoke fill the hallway. Inside her chest, her muscles began to contract as her airway started to close.

"One step ahead, you say?" Kovalenko taunted. "I doubt that."

Alex fell to her knees, her hands clutching at her throat. _James..._

_What's wrong?_

She choked, her throat constricting as she gasped for air. _Gas. The vents. Can't breathe-_

Her mind went blank and she fell to the floor.

* * *

Bucky stopped dead in his tracks.

_Gas. Can't breathe._

The link between him and Alex faded into nothing as fear took complete control of him. He couldn't sense her anymore. Terror gripped at his chest, threatening to make him weak if he didn't keep his focus.

Bucky turned back the way he'd just come, but then paused. Should he go to her? Or should he carry on the way he was going and find another way to reach her? What kind of gas did they use? If they poisoned her-

_No. No. No, that's not possible. _

The hardest thing Bucky had to do was take that first step away from Alex's direction. It felt like he was leaving her, and he swore he would never leave her. He needed to get to her another way, and he had to focus if he was going to save her.

_I'll find you_, he repeated in his mind. _I'm not leaving you. If you can hear me, Alexis...I'm not leaving you. _

He took off a sprint and made his way through the tunnel-like halls. He came to a stop when he arrived at an elevator...an elevator that came to the surface of his memory as he stared at it. Staring back at him was the skull and tentacle emblem etched into the door of the elevator, its dead stare silently judging him. He remembered this elevator somehow. It was the only elevator in the bunker, if he recalled correctly.

He averted his gaze from the emblem and lifted out his blood card. He held it up to the security screen and the doors slid open.

"Come to the third level, Soldier" came Dobrow's voice within the elevator. "If you try to exit on any other level, I'll have you disabled immediately."

The doors of the elevator slid closed but the car did not move. Bucky stared at the panel of buttons bearing the various floors within the bunker, knowing Dobrow was watching him. He was _sick _of Dobrow watching him. He wasn't Dobrow's pet anymore. The days of obeying him - and Hydra - were long gone.

He pressed the button for Level 1.

"Sorry, Dobrow" he uttered darkly. "I don't take orders from you anymore."

Silence was his only response. Bucky readied his rifle and used those last few seconds to load another magazine of ammo into its chamber. When the doors opened, he was surprised to see the hallway empty. No soldiers. No bullets. No one to restrain him or disable him. Just another empty threat from Dobrow and another lie from Hydra.

Bucky stepped out of the elevator with his rifle pointed, cautious and alert. He checked every corridor he passed. No one was around, but he knew plenty of eyes were watching. As he moved down the hallway, his memory slowly came back to him. This level had the same acrid smell of his nightmares: a mix of corroded wiring and something musty. The carpet below his feet was aged and stained, but at least it muffled his boots. He checked each door he passed by to see if it would open, but had no luck. He listened for Alex internally and externally, waiting on any sign that she regained consciousness or, God forbid, if the sound of her screams could help him locate her.

_Alexis? _He strained to feel their intense connection inside him, but it wasn't there. _Alexis, if you can hear me—_

"If you're looking for the girl, you're on the wrong floor" Dobrow's voice echoed. "You haven't grown much smarter with time, have you, Soldier?"

Bucky ground his jaw but kept silent.

"Come to the third level, Soldier. You won't be disappointed."

Bucky ignored the voice and went on the hunt for information. He shot the security panels of each door in the hallway until they sparked, popped, and died. He kicked the doors open and inspected each room, trying to find the one he knew housed all the security camera feeds. When he found it, he lowered his rifle and quickly scanned the monitors that displayed nearly 100 camera feeds covering every square inch of the bunker. Outside cameras. Inside cameras. Angles he recognized. Many he didn't.

And then he saw her.

Crumpled against a wall, her head lolled to one side, sat Alexis. A shadow loomed just out of frame and appeared to be standing watch over her, and Bucky breathed a small sigh of relief. If she was dead, they would have left her. He was certain of it. Not dead - just out cold.

He needed to see more. Quickly, he looked over the keyboard and familiarized himself with the controls for the cameras. He swore under his breath at his lack of computer skills as he clicked a few buttons hopelessly, but finally he came to one that allowed him to pan the camera outward. He pressed the button, watching as the camera showing Alexis slowly zoomed out. He hoped to see who stood watch over her, but what he saw instead took the very breath from his lungs.

Dark iron bars. A cement floor. A layer of water.

_No. _Bucky backed away from the computer monitor. _No. _

His old cell.  
They'd taken her to his old cell.

"Surely you would like to discuss some terms now, hmm?" came Dobrow's voice.

Bucky wheeled around, anger setting fire to the blue of his eyes. "LET HER GO" he yelled, the force of thunder behind his voice.

"Come to the third level."

Bucky clenched his jaw so hard he felt it through his ears. His heart hammered inside his chest. Banging. Pounding. Trying to get out.

_Think, Barnes.  
__Focus._

Two choices.  
He had two choices.

Go to the cell. Face his past. Face the humiliation, the hurt, the pain, the fear - and free Alex himself. Or go to Dobrow and reason his way into freeing Alex. Either way, they had him. But if he was going to free Alex, he was going to do it on his own terms. Not Dobrow's.

Bucky raised his rifle and pointed the barrel at the camera's computer system. He pulled the trigger and didn't let go until the entire system was licking flames and spewing smoke. The camera images on the monitors disappeared one by one, their images fizzling from gray and white lines to black permanence. When the system had been completely decimated, Bucky lowered the rifle and made for the door.

If he was doing this on his terms, he wasn't about to allow an audience to watch.

* * *

Alex awoke to darkness. At first she thought she was stricken blind by whatever gas had taken her out...but once her eyes adjusted, she realized she'd only been taken somewhere.

Somewhere dim.  
And _wet_.

She shifted, feeling water seeping through her suit. The chill of the concrete surface beneath her ached against her bottom and the back of her legs. When she tried to stand, her arms felt like jelly; still too weak from the lingering effects of the gas to do anything but sit in there on the damp, cold floor. She wriggled her wrists and ankles to test for restraints but found none. Her backpack was missing though. So was her hip holster and utility belt. Stripped of everything...everything but Bucky's strength flowing through her veins.

"Going somewhere so soon? We haven't even had the chance to talk yet."

Through the fog in her mind, Alex heard Kovalenko. Her bitter voice sounded like she was down a long tunnel, but Alex knew from the way her powers flickered inside her that she was actually close. She leaned her head back and felt a cold metal bar against her neck. Closing her eyes, she feebly tried to find her connection to Bucky, but her mind was still too clouded.

Footsteps approached; the sound of short heels clicking dully in shallow water. When Alex opened her eyes again, Kovalenko was standing in front of her. "May we finally talk, Miss Markos?"

Alex chuckled bitterly. "How polite of you to ask." Her eyes adjusted further and she noticed Kovalenko was dressed in the uniform she'd had on in the hologram. Had it not been for the clicking of the woman's heels, she would have guessed it to be another mirage.

"How did you manage to heal your hand?"

"_That's _what we're starting with?" Alex laughed again and shook her head. "Hydra's got its priorities all wrong. No wonder you're always on the losing side."

"Is there something _you _would prefer we chat about first, then?"

"Yeah, actually." She settled her gaze on Kovalenko's icy stare. "Why don't we discuss the breeding program?"

Kovalenko's body went rigid. Her eyes never moved, never blinked, not even an intake of air could be detected - but with Bucky's serum flowing through her veins, she was able to notice the subtle way her body tensed on the spot.

"I'd love to know why a 60-something year old woman is still holding a grudge that her chance at being bred like a horse didn't happen." Alex cocked her head, still resting it against the cold bar of the cell. "I mean - that's what this is all about, isn't it?" She lifted her right hand and smiled. "What _this _was all about?"

Kovalenko lowered until she was eye level with her. "You are a _threat_. That's why I ordered you disabled that night. Don't believe you're someone special when you are not."

The face before Alex was the same face from Bucky's memory. After seeing Kovalenko in the memory and then seeing her again here, Alex could look upon her with new eyes. Though Kovalenko showed her age in many ways, the woman who crouched before her still showed many similar characteristics as the young woman in the memory. Even with an expression pinched from brewing anger, Alex could very plainly see the young woman from the memory.

"My only regret is that my men did not finish the job." Kovalenko stood, clear eyes unmoving as she glared down her nose. "I trusted the wrong men. But today, with you here in the Soldier's old cell, I'll finish the job myself."

Alex felt her blood still. She blinked and looked more closely at where Kovalenko had her. The darkness was consuming. Only a single light bulb provided any light, casting a dim shadow over her where she sat. She couldn't see much...but she knew. She knew now. The steel bars. The water. The penetrating cold and darkness.

"Poetic, isn't it?" Kovalenko said with a smirk. "You'll die in the place where your mate was created."

Alex closed her eyes and reached out to Bucky through their bond. _James, can you hear me? Can you feel me? I'm okay. I'm alive._

"I found these strapped to your back, which I found peculiar."

Alex heard the snap of Natasha's batons and her eyes shot open. Kovalenko was holding them, examining them as she turned them over in her hands. _James? Are you okay? I need you to hear me—_

"I wonder if he responds the way he used to when given a good jolt?"

She moved the baton like a knife, stabbing into the darkness with a sadistic laugh. The sound of that laugh was the first time Alex truly felt scared. It wasn't the laugh of anyone normal. It wasn't even the laugh she heard from the younger Kovalenko in the memory. A lifetime of hatred echoed in that laugh and it unnerved Alex to the core.

_Alexis!?_

Her eyes widened when she heard James inside her mind. The sound of him was loud and clear; the feel of him filling her body like a breath of fresh air expanding her lungs. _James! Where are you!? _

_I'm coming for you. Are you safe?_

_No. _She kept an eye on Kovalenko, who was testing the batons. _Not yet. _

_Are you...in the cell?_

_Yes. Hurry. _

Alex didn't know how he knew, but she didn't have time to figure that out. Kovalenko approached at a leisurely stride, swinging the batons like they were toys. Their neon blue glow lit the space enough that she could get a better look at the cell in its entirety. Contraptions of a kind she didn't recognize hung from the ceiling not far from where she sat. Straps. Clips. Pins. Torturous looking things whose use she didn't dare think about. Levers outside the cell with Russian words written above that she couldn't decipher. Something flickering in the distance. A door. More levers. Below her, she could see breaks in the concrete. A set of four lines that formed a square, and many, _many _claw marks near the bars. A shiver traveled the length of Alex's spine at the thought of their cause.

Kovalenko placed both batons in one hand and reached behind her back as she stepped into Alex's space. She withdrew a serrated knife and stared at it lovingly. "Surely you remember this?"

Alex eyed the blade and a memory of pain rippled through her right hand at the sight. It was the knife that butchered her hand that night on the rooftop.

"I retrieved it before I fled the States to come here" Kovalenko continued, her reverie bringing a subtle smile to her tight mouth. "I like to take personal affects, you see. Things to remember certain kills with. This, however..." She flashed the blade at Alex. "This was taken as a reminder that I would not fail again. This time, I _will _take your life."

As subtly as she could, Alex pushed herself up against the bars of the cell and tested her strength. She could feel the fog in her mind dissipating and the strength she borrowed from Bucky returning in full. If Kovalenko thought her a wilted flower still under the influence of toxic gas, she had another thing coming. Kovalenko didn't know she shared the effects of Bucky's serum or that she was about to spring them on her at just the right moment.

"But let's talk a bit about your question. About the breeding program." Kovaleno managed to pull her mouth into a larger smile, but her eyes didn't follow. They remained bitter and hateful. "You are correct in one way, Miss Markos. I _was _to be the Soldier's carrier. I was to birth his first. The child born would be Hydra's prototype for future soldier iterations, and they considered me the best for the job."

Kovalenko paused to look down at the knife, and Alex noticed her hands tighten around the blade. She allowed her to continue her little diatribe while she summoned her powers from within her internal well, pulling them into her hands as she summoned Bucky's strength into her legs. When the moment came, she would spring with all the force she could summon.

"It was not to be, sadly. But Hydra adjusted. Hydra always adjusts." Kovalenko lifted her frozen gaze and Alex felt a chill emanate from her. "You're wrong about the grudge, however. I hold no grudge."

"I don't know, Oxana. Your grip on that knife suggests otherwise," Alex taunted. She dug deep inside herself and continued to pull her powers into her arms and legs, feeling them thrum in her muscles as they combined with Bucky's strength. "Just admit that you're pissed I'm fucking the man you always wanted to but never got to." She smirked. "And if you couldn't have him, then no one can have him. Right, Oxana? Because only _you _deserved to have him?"

Kovalenko dropped the batons and bent forward, lifting the knife to Alex's throat. "You think you're really something, don't you? You believe that monster actually cares for you?"

Alex narrowed her gaze. "He's not a monster. _Hydra _is. And thanks to Hydra, I will never have his child." She leaned in closer to Kovalenko's face. "But at least he fucks me because _he wants to, _not because it's some _job._"

This brought Kovalenko's emotions to the surface. There was a dangerous stillness to her as red hot color flushed her otherwise pale cheeks. Alex watched as a muscle twitched in her jaw, and then Kovalenko pressed the knife to her neck even harder.

"You're a cocky little _bitch_," Kovalenko hissed through clenched teeth. "I detected it the first moment I laid eyes on you, and that cockiness will cost you your life. But before I take it from you - I will take my memento first."

Kovalenko wrapped her free hand around Alex's braid and drew the knife through its length, severing it from Alex's head.

Alex's brain stuttered for a moment, her eyes frozen open with shock. She stared at the hair - _her hair _\- in Kovalenko's hand and felt her rage rise faster than magma.

Kovalenko pocketed Alex's long braid with a look of satisfaction. "You won't be needing to look so pretty once I've killed you, anyways."

Alex felt her stomach roll. _Her hair. _She never considered herself vain. She never considered herself better than anyone or prettier than anyone because of her long hair, but it was_ hers. _She'd had it for so long...had grown it out for so long...that it was always a part of her. And this bitch took it.

"Remember this, Miss Markos: you're nothing but a DNA experiment gone wrong," Kovalenko fumed. "_I_ was the only one _meant _to breed with the Soldier. Why would anyone want to breed with _you, _when all you've got is bad blood running through your veins?"

"Well, that's where you're wrong again, Oxana" Alex replied, her voice uncommonly low. "I've got a super serum in my blood."

She lunged, throwing all the force she had into Kovalenko. The knife flew from the woman's hand as she fell onto her back with a cry. Alex landed in a crouched position behind her, right next to Natasha's batons. She grabbed one in each hand and stood, feeling the power come to life in her hands.

She walked towards Kovalenko and kicked her.

She kicked her a second time until she rolled onto her stomach, watching as the shallow water splashed about her.

She waited until the woman shifted onto her hands and knees like a dog and then Alex kicked her again. It knocked her back so hard, her head hit the cement.

Stepping over her, Alex held one of the batons close enough to Kovalenko's neck that her skin glowed blue. "This 'DNA experiment gone bad' allows me the ability to see James' memories. And you'll never guess who I saw there?"

Kovalenko groaned and tried to push herself up out of the shallow water, but Alex pushed her back down. "I saw _you_. Crazy, isn't it? And guess what I saw you do to him?" Kovalenko looked up and for the first time, Alex detected fear in that icy stare. "I watched you shock him, and you _laughed. _And now you will pay for that with your life._" _

She took a step away and swung the batons, driving them into Kovalenko's chest. The electric shock shook the woman's body violently, sending both water and a screams into the air. Alex kept the impact short and backed away as Kovalenko gasped for air.

"Stand up and fight" Alex told her, twirling the batons into an attack position. "GET UP or I'll do it again."

Kovalenko stood, albeit feebly. Her graying hair had loosened from its bun as wet pieces stuck to her cheeks. As her eyes found Alex's, she could tell they were bloodshot from the shock, but were every bit as evil and angry.

This time, Kovalenko lunged first. Alex dodged her as they parried; Alex swinging her batons, Kovalenko lunging with her knife. She stood no chance against Alexis; not with Bucky's borrowed strength and her own skills in fighting. Alex easily disabled her, sending the knife flying beyond the reach of the cell. She leapt over her in a somersault and swung the batons, knocking Kovalenko off her feet and onto her back once more. Alex straddled her, engaged the batons once more, and delivered another shocking blow to her chest. Only when Kovalenko blacked out from the pain did she ease up and back away.

When Kovalenko's body moved no more, Alex walked over to where the knife had skittered beyond the bars. She reached through with one of the batons, straining to the point of pain as she desperately tried to reach the knife. She reached and wiggled, angling herself enough until she could finally pull the knife towards her, and then eased the blade back through the bars.

Alex took one look at the serrated edge and the events of the ambush came rushing back to her. She held it in her right hand, remembering the feel of it tearing through muscle and bone as the agent drove it through her palm. She remembered the hopelessness she felt when her powers sputtered out and died, the look on Bucky's face right before she passed out, and the pain she endured to heal that wound.

She looked over at Kovalenko, her body still motionless on the floor.

With the knife still in her right hand, Alex knelt beside Kovalenko and drove the blade through her chest.

Kovalenko's eyes popped open for only a moment, her chest convulsing against the knife buried within it. Alex took one final look at those icy eyes as the life drained from them and turned away. She listened, feeling no remorse, as Kovalenko choked and sputtered. _One final fight_, Alex thought. _And she'll lose this one too._

When all grew silent, Alex lowered to the floor and closed her eyes. _I'm safe now, James. _

_I'm almost there. _

Alex felt a burst of warmth bloom inside her chest. Her powers tingled over every inch of her skin, and then the sound of heavy boots on concrete filled the space behind her. She stood, turning towards where the door must have been, and that's when she saw him. His blue eyes burned bright, even in the darkness of the room. The relief in his smile as it burst across his handsome face made Alex run to the barred wall of the cell. "James!?"

Bucky ran to her, his hands clasping around the metal rods next to hers. "I'm here" he said, his breathing labored from running. "Are you okay?"

"I am now" she said, taking a quick look over him. "Are you?"

"I am now." He pressed his forehead to the space between the metal bars, and then Alex did the same. They felt the telepathic bond between them pulse stronger than ever as relief washed over them. They were two halves of one whole being, and their connection never felt more solid than it did in that moment.

Bucky reached a hand through the metals rods to cup Alex's cheek and then halted. Alex noticed alarm change his beautiful eyes, their shape growing rounder as he noticed her hair. "Your hair..."

Sadness hit Alex in that moment. She'd been too shocked to feel it earlier, but the disappointment she detected in Bucky's eyes made a part of her crumble. "She cut it."

His mouth hardened. "Why." Not a question. A demand; one that Kovalenko would no longer be able to answer.

"She wanted a keepsake before she killed me."

A shadow crossed Bucky's face as he shifted his eyes past her. "Is she dead?"

"Yes."

He gave a curt nod. _Good_.

It was the first time he had seen his cell in decades. To him, those bars represented the prison of his past. Alex could see how much it haunted him. She felt the depth of his pain and heard his disparaging thoughts through their bond. She watched as his eyes scanned Kovalenko, then those horrific items hanging from the ceiling, then the cement floor beneath them.

"Let me get you out of here" was all he said.

He walked over the panel of levers near the far wall and engaged each of them in a sequence Alex would have never guessed. Several locking mechanisms around the cell unfolded before one wall of bars slid open.

Alex passed Kovalenko on the floor with the knife still in her chest. She took Bucky's outstretched hand and stepped out of the cell, and then fell into his arms. They hugged quietly; standing in the shadow of the cell and all it represented.

"I'm sorry you had to find me here," Alex whispered against his neck.

Though Alex couldn't see it, Bucky gave her a pained smile. "I'm not" he uttered. "At least this place has one good memory attached to it." Alex pulled back, looking at him with question in her eyes. He let his fingers play through the chopped ends of her now-shoulder length hair, a bittersweet smile on his lips. "I found you alive, didn't I?"

Alex mirrored his smile. "You did."

He glanced over at Kovalenko. "One job finished."

"One more to go" said Alex. She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Let's finish this one together."


	21. Chapter 20

Erik Dobrow put every last man between himself and the two Avengers who were coming for him. He'd seen the girl kill Kovalenko. He'd watched her pounce like a cat; her movements crisp and flawless like that of someone trained for far more years than she seemed to have been alive for. She was extremely athletic and capable, so the duel had been a swift one. Soon after, he watched Kovalenko take her final breath.

Watched, and felt nothing.  
He had more to worry about than her. He had his own life to worry about.

And then the cameras went blank. The Soldier took those out, and he'd lost his view on the bunker. He'd taken them out as efficiently and as calmly as he took out Kovalenko's men when he first arrived. Everything about the Soldier was the same save for one thing: he was fighting for the opposite side. He'd lost none of his bulky build; his body still a sharply honed tool made for battle. He gaze was also as fierce as he remembered, but his eyes were no longer empty. They held a fire in them that had not been present during his years training and shaping the Winter Soldier. This, perhaps above all else, had disappointed him the most. He worked too hard to remove James Barnes from the Winter Soldier, but the Soldier had fought hard. Harder than most ever lived to tell. When Erik had finished his work, the Soldier had come out the other end and the identity of James Barnes had been successfully wiped. It was a shame to see all that hard work had been put to waste.

What intrigued Erik most was how the Soldier and the girl annihilated those soldiers with eery similarity. It made him wonder if there was more to their pairing than met the eye. They moved together like a reflection; an optical illusion come to life. There was no way the girl had as much training as the Soldier did, so it had to be a production of some kind. Was Stark behind it? Was S.H.I.E.L.D.? If he could replicate whatever they did to enhance their fighting, it might be worth taking them both alive...if it was lucky enough to do so.

As he stood at the two-way mirror that looked beyond the wall of his office, Erik watched in silent horror as the Soldier and the girl fought against his men as expertly as they had earlier. Their body movement, their aim, their hand-to-hand combat: all of it executed in perfect harmony. Even stranger, they never once uttered a word to the other. Erik had made note of this earlier when they first arrived, but after watching the pair after they were divided by the hallway barrier, there had to be something there between them that allowed them to talk or move or work together in some silent way. Whatever it was, he _needed _that technology.

When the last of his own men was gunned down by the Soldier, Erik inhaled a steady breath and pushed his shoulders back. He would take them both alive himself. He would retrieve whatever technology existed between them, and would bring them back to Hydra for further study. Kovalenko had hired him for this purpose, and he would not fail.

And while Erik knew he was a prideful man, he was not stupid. He understood he was only one man against two trained Avengers. He would need backup eventually.

Bullets rang off the metal door separating himself from the Avengers, so Erik quickly lifted the receiver of the office's one way emergency line. A male voice spoke a curt Russian greeting, and in return, Erik spoke the phrase the man on the other line needed to hear to initiate backup: "_Hydra Agent 1624 requesting immediate backup. All on-site units disabled. Threat level imm-"_

The door to the office burst open in a screeching boom of metal against metal. Erik turned in time to see the Soldier appear through the busted doorway, eyes ablaze and angry. He pointed his rifle and shot the telephone receiver out of his hand.

"Time's up, Dobrow" the Soldier said, his voice just as harsh and dark as it had been all those decades ago.

A mocking smile spread across Erik's face. "Is it, Soldier?"

The girl appeared through the doorway next. She stood beside the Soldier, barrel raised and ready to shoot. It was interesting to see that the Soldier allowed a woman to stand next to him while in battle and not behind him. Very interesting indeed. Whatever the Avengers did, they certainly didn't follow Hydra rules.

Erik shifted his focus to her. "We haven't had the pleasure of meeting, you and I. Alexis, is it? You're not a bad fighter, Alexis. You would have made a wonderful subject here at Hydra."

The girl stared at him with disgust in her large eyes. Her full pout formed a scowl behind the barrel of her automatic rifle. "And end up like your gal pal back in the cell?" she said, the taunt in her voice evident. "No thanks."

It was the first time Erik heard her speak since she arrived. Her speech was as feisty as she looked. With a face like hers and eyes that swallowed you whole as they were doing to him in that moment, he could see why the Soldier had fallen weak to her. "Perhaps you're right" he jeered. "Hydra doesn't take well to women who do not submit to their superiors."

"_You can surrender_" Bucky interjected brusquely, drawing the attention away from Alex. "Or you can die. Your choice."

Erik took a step towards them, his eyes lowering to the dark vibranium of Bucky's arm. He inclined his head as he studied it. "Wakanda did a fine job reconstructing our technology, I see." Out of the corner of his eye, the girl raised her weapon at him. "They work wonders there, that is certain. But I want to know one thing: how is it that they removed the effectiveness of your Activation Words? It's a puzzle that's been troubling me for weeks now."

"You can leave here as a prisoner or you can die" reiterated Bucky. "Those are the only things we will allow. No questions. No discussions."

Erik didn't bother to hide the tiny laugh that escaped him. "Life is funny, isn't it? Such twists and turns. Soldiers who took orders now give them. Hydra soldiers die at the hands of a Hydra-bred soldier. I must congratulate you both on your efficient work within this bunker today. It's nothing if not impressive."

Bucky grabbed Erik by the collar of his uniform, the plates of his arm locking as he drew him in close. "You will die in this shithole today, Dobrow. Is this how you want to spend the last moments of your life? _Talking_? Buying yourself time for backup that will never come?"

Erik shifted his eyes to see the girl's mouth ease into a smirk. "I have no plans to die today, Soldier. Not by you and certainly not by_ her_."

Bucky ground his teeth, the muscles of his neck rigid. It was just like the island all over again. Boroshka had wasted his final moments playing mind games, and Dobrow was no different. They were all the same; one just as predictable the next. He often wondered why Hydra repeated their same mistakes over and over; never bothering to learn from them. It was because they hid too much from one another. The organization was based on secrets. Fake names. Fake titles. Fake emotions. Soldier created and manipulated by pain and deprivation, not respect. It would be their downfall time and time again, and they never learned.

But Bucky learned. _He_ had nothing to hide. He kept no secrets, not from the people who destroyed his life. Not from the woman who stood beside him in life or on missions. And most importantly, not from himself.

In his mind, he reached out to Alexis. _I'm not doing this with him like I did with Boroshka. _

_Then end it, babe. I'll be right here. _

Bucky transferred the rifle into his right hand and tightened his grip on Dobrow's collar so hard he began to turn a faint shade of purple. "I told you earlier I no longer take orders from anyone. You _will _die today, and it'll be me who kills you." He tossed Dobrow onto the floor.

_Aim for his knee._

_With pleasure._

Alex fired one bullet into his left kneecap. A short howl escaped his mouth before he bit it back; his pride too big to admit the pain. He looked down in shock as a bloom of red quickly soaked into his pant leg.

Winding back, Bucky swung the butt-end of the rifle into Dobrow's face, sending him into the nearest wall with a gruesome _crack_.

_I don't want to do it here_, Bucky told Alex. He walked over, grabbed Dobrow by the collar once more, and drug him towards the door. _I want to do it in the cell. _Alex nodded, and Bucky knew he had her support because he could feel her comforting warmth through their bond.

Bucky went first, dragging Erik by the collar. With his uniform balled inside his metal fist, his body feeling like nothing more than a rag doll. He drug Dobrow past the dead bodies littering the hallway, through their pools of blood and limp limbs, trailing a streak of dark red behind. Alex kept close watch as she walked behind them. If Erik regained consciousness and tried anything, she was ready to decorate his opposite knee with a bullet.

They came to the elevator and Bucky drug Dobrow inside. Alex filed in beside him, noticing that his expression was utterly calm. She knew he needed this. She would support him, and in the end she hoped it would release more from his past than her and her powers ever could.

When the elevator opened again, Bucky drug Erik into the room of his nightmares. Alex hung behind, giving Bucky the space he needed to end this part of his story. She would be ready to fire if something was to happen, but they were the only ones left in this building. Once Dobrow was dead, it would be just them.

Bucky initiated the sequence of levers on the wall, opening the cell one more time. Locks and bars twisted and turned, releasing in a sequence that allowed him to enter that space one final time.

For a brief moment, he let his eyes graze over the cell. The devices used on him hung silently nearby. On the floor, he could see the marks he'd made with his metal hand to try and escape. It was laughable to think he once had hope. That he might get out by sheer will. What a fool he'd been. He'd paid for that hope...paid for it until he had none left.

Now he _was _out.  
And there _was _hope.

He glanced over his shoulder at Alexis. Her eyes connected with his and the corner of her mouth lifted.

_I'm here._

Bucky felt the love pouring from her through their link; her thoughts as encouraging and supportive as ever. It was nice to have her here. Here, where so many horrible things happened to him. Where the people in his life had once taken everything from him.

Pulling Dobrow's body over beside Kovalenko, Bucky kicked some of the shallow water onto his face until he woke. Dobrow stirred, and Bucky waited until his eyes cleared and some of his consciousness came back to him before he spoke. "I wanted you awake so you could see where your life would end."

Erik laughed grimly, the side of his face distorted and swollen from the hit. "Dramatic to the very end, Soldier."

Bucky exchanged his rifle for his knife and then knelt beside Erik. "You asked me earlier why the Words don't work on me anymore" he said, his gaze unwavering. "It's because people with better hearts than yours cared enough to try and save me. They cared enough to help me. To see past the things you and the rest of Hydra did to me. They loved me enough to try and bring that person back,_ and they did."_

He lifted the knife to Dobrow's neck, and for the first time in his life he saw an inkling of fear in Dobrow's eyes. It should have made him feel better than it did, but he no longer found joy in death. Not even Dobrow's.

"You lose, Dobrow. You and Hydra lose. Your creation failed, and the man you thought you got rid of has come back. How does it feel to die at his hands?"

Erik's only response was a smug smile. He would never learn, and that's why he had to die.

In his mind, Bucky felt Alex's comforting aura and heard her words as she spoke to him, _I'm here. I'm with you._

He drew the knife across Erik's throat in a clean line. There was no anger in the movement; only precision. The space gaped open, blood bubbling as Erik took his final breaths; his body struggling to fight against the inevitable. His swollen face convulsed as he choked, his hands reaching up to the place Bucky had cut open. When death became the victor, Erik Dobrow moved no more.

Bucky stood and stared down his nose at the body before him. He took no comfort in knowing one of the key figures of his past was finally dead. Dobrow was just one of many. It felt personal this time, but it wouldn't always be personal. Hydra would never stop, and Bucky would never stop fighting them.

He tossed his knife next to Dobrow's body and walked out of the cell for the final time. He initiated the lever sequence; the clang of metal securing his and Kovalenko's body within.

Alex lowered her weapon as Bucky went over to her. No words were spoken, but their hands reached for each other's. Just like they had done on the island as they walked away from Boroshka's hut, they walked away from that cell together, hand-in-hand. Love endured in that dark place, and Bucky left another part of his past behind him.

* * *

The last thing Alex and Bucky did before they left the bunker was plant remotely activated bombs around each floor of the bunker. They were about the size of their fists, with a countdown activated by a device within the Quinjet.

The pair waited alone out on the snowy landscape beyond the main entrance of the bunker. The Quinjet lowered out of the clouds, swirling snow and ice generated by the aircraft's engines as it landed. Bucky stood in front of Alex to protect her from the whipping snow, blocking her with his larger body until the aircraft settled. He helped her into the opened hatch first, then climbed aboard himself.

As the Quinjet lifted and the hatch began to close, Bucky stared down at the disappearing bunker doors. Next to him stood Alexis, the device to trigger the bombs in her hand. She offered him the device with reassurance in her gaze.

"It's all yours." Her hand moved to caress the low of his back tenderly.

Bucky gave her a smile and took the device. He stared out beyond the hatch door as the Quinjet rose higher and higher into the sky. Just before they disappeared into the clouds, Bucky pressed the button on the device.

A burst of flame and smoke broke through the bleakness below, rising up to engulf everything around where the bunker had been. The explosion was so great that it rocked the Quinjet, its body trembling in the wake of the bombs. The aircraft pulled up quickly, shooting through the deck of clouds to reveal a rising sun on the horizon.

With the hatch sealed shut, Bucky turned back to Alex. He ran his eyes over his future, his love, his everything. Her smile was all he wanted to remember about that moment, even as pieces of his dark past burned somewhere far below.

Reaching a hand up, Bucky fingered the now shortened, choppy ends of Alex's hair with a growing smile. "It's not a bad look, really."

Alex lifted an eyebrow. "You don't have to try and make me feel better about it."

"I'm not" he said with honesty. "You're still just as beautiful, and it will never have anything to do with your hair."

He slipped his hands deep into her shoulder length hair and pulled her in for a kiss. He drank in her love like an elixir, their internal link bonding them together even stronger. They stood in the rear of the Quinjet, their lips entangled in one another's as Alex's white light swirled around them.

When they came up for air, Bucky rested his forehead on Alex's, his smile turning to a full on grin. "We did it."

"We did." She caressed the stubble along his jaw lovingly. "You're free again, James."

* * *

When the couple arrived back at Avengers Headquarters, Steve and Tony were there to greet them. Steve breathed a heavy sigh of relief to see both Bucky and Alexis walk off the Quinjet without injuries...at least any that were visible. He hadn't heard from them since they left, but upon seeing them and the smiles they wore, he knew they'd conquered the mission.

Steve also noticed Alex's hair, and questions immediately arose. He was aware enough to not ask them, especially when he saw Alex noticing him looking. The look she gave him was one that politely requested he didn't ask, but that she knew _he _knew. Even Tony remained silent, though Steve could tell he was looking at Alex's hair with some intrigue. Thankfully (for once), he kept his mouth shut.

There were plenty of greetings to go around between the four of them, though. A quick video call with Nick Fury confirmed the job had been completed, and even Fury broke into a smile. He was happy to hear both Dobrow and Kovalenko were dead and the bunker was demolished. Another notch in the belt, but still so many more to go.

The rest of the day was spent doing debriefs and writing up mission reports. It was tedious, especially with how tired Bucky and Alex were. Their gear was unloaded for them and brought back to Bucky's apartment, but Bucky wanted nothing to do with ammunition or weaponry...so he left the gear in a pile on his living room floor and spent the rest of the night with Alex in her apartment.

They slept that night without interruption, including nightmares of any kind. They slept in the next morning as well, waking only when their bodies were ready to. After they roused from their restful slumber, the couple spent time together just lying in one another's arms. Alex remained cuddled in the crook of Bucky's flesh shoulder, her hand resting on his bare stomach as he lay on his back. His hand lazily stroked her head as he stared sightlessly out the window. Things were calm for now, but their minds still retraced the events of their mission. Death, of any kind, never came without a period of reflection.

When Alex shifted a little, Bucky's attention came back to the present and the woman in his arms. He hugged her close and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "How ya feeling?"

Alex shifted her gaze upward. "For the first time since our vacation, I actually feel well rested." Much to her happiness, Bucky looked just as rested, but he still had those little sleepy lines around his eyes that she adored seeing every morning. His mouth appeared soft; his jaw finally losing the tightness she'd seen so much the day before. The broad muscles that made up his chest and shoulders felt relaxed as she lay against him; the weight he'd been carrying noticeably gone. "How about you, Sergeant? Feeling okay?"

"More than okay" he said with a smile, and his whole face came alive. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

"It really does."

He hugged Alex closer and they settled into a comfortable silence. His hand continued to stroke Alex's head until she could no longer keep her eyes open. She felt safe and loved right where she was, and Bucky felt the same. Because of this, they stayed in bed dozing in and out of light sleep and light conversation for as long as they wanted, rising some time later.

They ate breakfast at almost 2 in the afternoon. No one came to bother them. No one called. No one interrupted them. It was, all things considered, just like their mornings on the island.

When the pair readied themselves for the day, it was right around 3:30 in the afternoon, and Alex made a phone call. There was one thing she needed to do, and Bucky promised he would be with her when it happened.

She needed to cut the uneven ends of her hair.

In the back of her mind, she feared what her shorter hair would represent. She didn't need a physical reminder every time she looked at herself in the mirror of what happened on the mission, nor did she want it to symbolize what had happened. Maybe someday it would turn into some kind of new style she would grow to eventually love, but right now she was struggling.

So...after a quick conversation and some persuading, Bucky and Alex walked down the hall to Natasha's apartment. On the way down, they picked up Steve, who tagged along in support of Alex (and to witness Nat cut someone's hair other than his and Barton's).

Natasha invited the small group in and waved Alexis towards a stool she placed in the living room. She wrapped a towel around her shoulders and put one on the floor, hoping to catch most of the clippings. The two men sat on the couch across from the ladies, watching and giving encouraging words as the event unfolded.

Alex heard the hum of clippers and closed her eyes. "Just the ends. Nothing more, okay?"

"Stop fretting, Markos - I got you" Nat said with a friendly nudge.

Alex opened one eye cautiously when she heard the humming blades nearer to her shoulders. She glanced at Bucky nervously.

"You're doing great, doll" he said, his voice gentle and supportive.

"Yeah, Romanoff's only taking about..._this _much off" Steve teased, showing a large gap of space with his fingers. Alex saw that and her eyes grew several sizes larger, much to Nat's chagrin.

"Can you not, Rogers?" said Nat from behind her.

"What!?" Steve looked at Bucky for reassurance, only to get a metal elbow in the side.

"Don't make either of them more nervous than they already are" Bucky told him.

"-Wait, are you nervous, Nat?" Alex tried to turn around but Nat stopped her.

_"_Do _not _move or it'll look even worse."

Alex's eyes widened further. "What do you MEAN _worse?!"_

"Like I said" Steve replied, showing the exaggeratedly large gap between his fingers again, "it's not that much, really."

Nat bent around Alexis and shook the clippers at her. "Don't listen to him. I'm taking off a quarter of an inch, at best."

Trying to calm herself, Alex sat as still as possible...but she shot Steve a playful glare. "This is all very funny, Cap. Very funny."

He hugged one of Nat's couch pillows with a smart aleck grin that was neither innocent nor devilish. It was that weirdly in-between kind of smirk that only Steve Rogers could manage to pull off. "But it got you smiling, didn't it?" He winked. "That was my only goal."

Bucky motioned to Alex. "As I've said before, he's been a pain in my ass for decades. Might as well be a pain in someone else's for a change."

All four of them shared a laugh at this, knowing just how true the statement was. Deep down, Alex enjoyed the teasing. She was happy they were all there; Natasha with her clippers and her intense focus. The boys on the couch being dorks to try and make her laugh. Maybe the cutting of her hair would be a good memory after all.

When Nat finished and felt satisfied, she breathed a heavy exhale and backed away from the stool. "There. I think I removed most of the rough edges."

Alex searched the gazes of the guys for some indication on whether it looked okay or not. Their expressions seemed encouraging, especially since they were both smiling.

"I think it looks great," Bucky told her.

Steve nodded in agreement. "Much cleaner."

"Still just as beautiful," Bucky added.

He and Alex shared a knowing glance while both Nat and Steve uttered an _aww _under the breath.

Alex stood from the stool and headed for the washroom. She made sure to ruffle Bucky's hair as she passed, a flicker of her powers connecting with him as she did so. As she stood in front of the washroom mirror and looked at the reflection staring back at her, she not only saw herself - but Nat, Steve, and Bucky as well. They had gathered behind her in support, and all of them wearing smiles...including herself.

Nat did a perfect job. Gone were the uneven, choppy ends. She even angled the ends a little, the front pieces a bit longer than the back. It looked good. _She _looked good.

Bucky placed a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder. "What do you think, doll?"

Alex smiled at him in the mirror. "I think I could get used to this."

Behind her, Nat's shoulders visibly lowered in relief while Steve began to applaud all who were gathered there.

* * *

That night, Bucky and Alex lay awake together in her bed. Beyond her bedroom window, snowflakes fell in a lazy dance and a faint, icy edge had gathered around the window pane. Bucky lay cuddled against Alex, with his head cradled in her arms and his face resting against the soft curve of her breasts. Whatever leftover contemplation from their mission had dissipated during the day. Now, all he felt was comfort and peace...and a sense of accomplishment. He felt as though he and Alex had conquered something much bigger together than what was debriefed after the mission. Perhaps what he felt had nothing to do with the mission at all...in fact, he knew it didn't, and it made him feel good inside. It conjured an idea that made him smile in spite of himself.

Alex felt it against her chest as he did it. "Whatchya smiling for?"

Bucky snuggled closer, his arm tightening about her waist. "Nothing really."

"Lies."

He pressed a kiss to her stomach. "You see through me every time."

"You gonna tell me, then?" Alex brushed back a bit of his hair with a smile.

"I was thinking about our vacation," Bucky admitted. "I have an idea where we should go next."

"I thought we agreed on a cabin somewhere in the mountains?"

"Yeah." He shifted up onto his elbow so he could see her. "But what if those mountains were in Wakanda?" His smile grew when he saw the question in Alex's eyes turn into a look of glee.

"Really!? You'd take me there?"

"Why not? It's beautiful. It's safe. The people are amazing." He shrugged casually. "I'd love to introduce you to them...the ones who helped me. Even more so, I'd love to introduce them to _you_...the one person who's helped me so much since I left there."

Alex saw the love in Bucky's eyes and felt it through their strange bond, even without the telepathic bridge between them. She brought her lips closer to his and paused. "I would _love _to go to Wakanda with you, James."

Hope brightened his gaze. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Their mouths connected in a slow, passionate embrace. When Bucky pulled back, he rested his forehead against Alex's and smiled. "I love you, Alexis Renee Markos."

She nuzzled her nose to his. "And I love you, James Buchanan Barnes."

* * *

The End.  
(Epilogue to follow!)

* * *

**Author's Note: And that's it! We've come to the unofficial end of this story, but a very fun, very intriguing Epilogue will follow in the coming days. I have a few surprises in store, and - in my opinion - will be a fun ending...one that these characters deserve!**

**Thank you to ALL of you for the support between this story and "Lonesome No More". I never expected to write any kind of Marvel story, but the response has been more than I would have ever guessed and it has meant the world to me. Thank you again! **

**I will say this, as I close out another one of these stories involving Bucky, Alexis, and the gang: I went into this particular story wanting to focus more on the kind of bond Alexis and Bucky have with one another and to experiment with that bond to see where my creative mind would take me. When I titled the story "Nothing to Hide", one of my goals was to show that there wasn't anything that either Bucky or Alexis could ever hide between one another. Not with their kind of bond, not with their kind of superpower link, or in their friendship/growing romantic relationship. **

**Conversely, I wanted to show that Hydra hides **_**everything**_**. Their people operate through secrets. Their organization is based on lies, manipulation, and extortion. Boroshka, Kovalenko, and Dobrow all lived separate lives under the umbrella of Hydra, and yet all of them lived some kind of lie - one that they either told themselves, or were told by Hydra - or both. I wanted to show that Hydra is the exact opposite of what Bucky and Alex are, which is love, trust, understanding, and honesty. I hope I conveyed this in some fashion that was enjoyable, swoonworthy (because you know a Bucky story MUST be swoonworthy by default!), and entertaining. **

**Stay tuned for the epilogue!  
****-Winter**


	22. Epilogue

It was a Saturday night at a bar in downtown New York City. Not a popular hot spot to many city goers, but it was a favorite drinking hole to the Avengers.

That Saturday night, Tony Stark stepped up to a microphone set upon a very small stage. He tapped it three times to test it for volume, then nodded to the DJ standing somewhere in the shadows. He straightened his suit coat sleeves smartly; the anticipation building in the crowd. When the first few notes of AC/DC's Highway to Hell began to play, Tony began to sing.

The Avengers who sat around the small stage raised their glasses, cheering for Tony and the perfect karaoke he had chosen.

Ever the performer, Tony brought the moves (many of which embarrassed the hell out of Pepper, who sat shaking her head) and he brought the drama. Tony busted out everything from air guitars to head banging, drawing the attention from the other bar guests as well as his friends in attendance.

When the song was over, Tony pretended to brush his shoulders off to a raucous applause of Avengers and locals alike.

"Whose next?" Tony taunted as he returned to his table. "Whoever it is, you've got some big shoes to fill!"

"Definitely not drunk enough for any of this yet" Nat mumbled against her pint glass. She looked beside her at Steve, who averted his eyes as he chugged his own beer. "You next, Rogers?"

"No." He shook his head definitively. "I am not going second." He took another swig of beer and pointed to the two sitting opposite of him. "I volunteer these two."

He was pointing at none other than Alexis and Bucky, who were giving each other a look that hinted like they were planning something.

Nat noticed the devilish look on Alex's face and cocked her head. "Markos? What are you plotting over there?"

Alex nudged Bucky in the side. "Come on, let's go show Stark who runs the stage."

She was already standing, grabbing Bucky's arm as he tried to protest. "But Alex-"

"-No buts! Let's go!" She drug him out from their table with a slightly-drunken, giddy laugh that even Bucky couldn't ignore. He was several drinks in himself, so most of his guard was down. He climbed the small stage as Alex handed him one of the mics, then went to talk to the DJ to get one for herself.

As Bucky stood awkwardly on stage, he looked out to see many of the Avengers already applauding him. Sam stood and cupped his hands around his mouth to shout Let's go BARNES!, then began to tap the bottom of his glass against the table. Everyone else around him started a slow clap in time with his taps, which grew in strength and speed as Alexis took the stage beside Bucky.

Bucky leaned in to her and turned his back to the crowd. "What's our song? Please tell me it's something I actually know."

"The words are on the screen, babe" Alex told him. "You'll be fine - just follow my lead."

She spun and faced the crowd in a dramatic, fashion that got a laugh and a cheer from the Avengers. Dressed in a sleeveless black blouse, black heels, and black pleather pants that looked as though they'd been painted onto her slender legs, Alex looked every bit the part of some kind of lead singer a rock band. She tossed her shoulder-length hair and winked at the DJ for him to cue the song.

Next to Alex, Bucky looked like he could have been her backup. He wore his favorite black leather jacket with the silver zippers (the one that Alex had bought him for Christmas), along with dark pants and a navy blue shirt. His arm was hidden from view, but he held the microphone in his left hand and the metal of it gleamed in the lights, catching the attention of the rest of the bar.

Alex opened her hands in presentation of the man who stood beside her. The Avengers cheered, but Steve cheered the loudest. Bucky couldn't help but grin, and a bit of his apprehension in doing this faded.

When the DJ announced their names, the bar got somewhat quieter as they listened for what song the couple would sing. Only Bucky and Alex could see the screen with the lyrics, and when Bucky saw the first few lines show up on the screen, he turned to Alex with his mouth hanging open. He was about to protest, but the music drowned out his voice.

Alex took the first verse and began to sing:

_"I threw a wish in the well._  
_Don't ask me I'll never tell._  
_I looked at you as it fell,_  
_and now you're in my way..."_

Steve jumped out of his chair with his hands in the air when he realized the song they were singing.

Alex turned to Bucky, hand open for him to take the next verse. He swallowed visibly, his eyes half on the screen and half on the crowd.

_"I trade my soul for a wish._  
_Pennies and dimes for a kiss._  
_I wasn't looking for this,_  
_but now you're in my way..."_

Alex stepped in closer to him as she continue to sing, playing to the crowd who was eating up every single second of it. Bucky sang along with her, and they sang the next verse together:

_" Your stare was holding,_  
_Ripped jeans_  
_Skin was showing_  
_Hot night, wind was blowing_  
_Where ya think you're going, baby?!"_

Alex turned to Bucky and took the chorus for herself:

_"Hey - I just met you,_  
_And this is crazy,_  
_But here's my number..._  
_...so call me **Bucky**!"_

Natasha's jaw fell open. Sam, Tony, Clint, and Wanda were all applauding. Steve was still standing, beer in hand, and he was officially dancing.

_"It's hard to look right_  
_at you baaaabbbyyyy._  
_But here's my number..._  
_...so call me, Bucky!"_

Bucky stood shaking his head and looking down at the microphone. Alex was now full on singing to him, staring into his eyes as she every time she ad-libbed his name into the verse.

When she spun, Bucky grabbed her waist and dipped her, feeding off the crowd's energy as he took the next few lines:

_"Hey - I just met you,_  
_and this is craaazzzyyy_  
_So here's my number-"_  
_"-So call me Bucky!"_ Alex sang with a laugh.

He lifted her back up and Alex began to grind her ass against his hips as she sang:

_"And all the other boooyyyyss_  
_Will try and chase me_  
_But here's my number-_  
_So call me Bucky!"_

The couple took turns singing the rest of the song in an embarrassingly-cringeworthy fashion. Bucky wasn't half bad, much to everyone's surprise, but Alex stole the show. She brought a liveliness out of Bucky that none of the Avengers had ever witnessed before, and it was a hell of a show.

When the song ended, Bucky kissed Alex to a round of applause that was even louder than the one Tony received. Tony bowed in honor as Alex and Bucky came back to the table, applauding them and shaking Bucky's hand in congratulations for the ridiculousness he just witnessed.

Steve went one step further and full-on hugged Bucky when he got back to the table. He also hugged Alex, lifting her up and spinning her around in a bear hug that Alex had not been expecting whatsoever.

"Alright - that deserves another round!" Steve pointed at all those sitting around the table. "Who wants a refill?"

Everyone there raised their hands, and Steve did the honors of fulfilling their request. As the next song was being readied, Steve used the time to head up to the bar and pay for the next round.

He waited quietly behind two others who were ahead of him, taking a moment to enjoy the good energy he felt around the room and within himself. It had been his plan to go out. Since the night in DC when he, Bucky, and Alex tried to go out and have a good time had been horribly interrupted, he'd had it in his mind to make it up to them. After Alex and Bucky successfully completed their mission, he was dead set on making it happen. After bringing the idea up to the group and getting nothing but excitement from them in return, Steve rounded all of them up and they made for the city. A night out to enjoy themselves, and - in Steve's mind - to finish what he, Bucky, and Alex had been trying to do weeks ago.

The next song began to play while Steve was waiting at the bar, so he turned to see who had gone next. It wasn't someone from his group, but he enjoyed the attempt the current person was making to sing a Britney Spears song nonetheless. When the bar tended shouted, "who's next!?" over the clamor, Steve ordered the Avengers another round of whatever they were currently drinking. Since there were so many of them, the bartender said he'd send a waitress out to bring their drinks straight to their table. Steve started a tab, slipped his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans, and turned to leave.

"What took you so long?" Nat teased as Steve edged back around to their table and retook his seat.

"Easy, Romanoff - we're not the only ones here, ya know" he teased back.

The drinks came, and the next few songs were sang. Of the Avengers group, Nat and Clint went together and did a duet to the song " Summer Lovin" from the movie Grease, which had not just the Avengers group but the rest of the bar rolling in laughter. Clint was a horrible singer, and it showed - and Nat did everything she could to make it embarrassing for him. It was hilarious to see play out.

And then Steve Rogers drained the very last of his beer and rose from his chair. Bucky looked up at him with wide eyes. "Where are you going?"

"I can't let Romanoff and Barton upstage me, can I?" He slapped Bucky on the shoulder. "See you in a few."

Steve headed for the DJ's booth and Bucky stared at Alex, mouth open. "Is he really doing this? He's not actually gonna do this..."

Alex shrugged and took a swig of beer. "If he is, I'm not moving from this chair because I don't want to miss it."

"Me either" Bucky said, settling in close beside her.

Nat and Clint made it back to the table and Nat stared at the empty seat where Steve had been. "Did he go get another round?"

"No, but you may want to put another order in now" Bucky told her with a smirk. "I think he's going next."

"Oh hell yes," Nat said, dropping into her chair heavily. "I've been waiting for this all night."

She wasn't the only one. Across the bar, as the DJ announced that Steve Rogers himself was now taking the stage to sing, all eyes in the bar turned towards the stage as Steve's large body climbed the few stairs and took the mic in his hand. Because of the lights, Steve couldn't really see anyone except for the few who sat closest to the stage (one of which was Tony, who was taking every opportunity to try and make Steve nervous before he began his song).

The Avengers held their breath to hear what song their Captain chose. When the first few notes of a Backstreet Boys song started to play, the cheering was so loud Steve could barely hear himself sing:

_You are..._  
_My fire._  
_The one..._  
_Desiiirreee._  
_Believe...when I say..._  
_That I want it thaaaat way..._

The beat of the 90s boy band song dropped and Steve went into full performance mode. He started working the microphone, working the Avengers watching from the crowd, working the lights and the stage with his bulky form. His smile was genuine and visible to absolutely everyone in the bar. Even the bartenders stopped for a moment to watch Captain America karaoke to the Backstreet Boys.

_But we...are two worlds apart_  
_Can't reach...to your heart_  
_When you say_  
_That I want it that way..._

Steve shouted into the mic: _TELL ME WHYYY!_

The crowd, including all of the Avengers with giant drunken smiles on their surprised faces, shouted back: _AIN'T NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE!_

Steve was laughing so hard he almost didn't sing his part: _TELL ME WHYYY!_

Of all the people he heard singing back, it was Nat and Alexis - who were hanging on each other's shoulders, swaying with their beer glasses raised:_ AIN'T NOTHING BUT A MISTAKE!_

_Tell me why_  
_I never wanna heaaaarrr you saaaayyy_  
_I want it_  
_thaaattt waayyy_

Steve Rogers didn't just come out singing. He came out performing. His giant frame dwarfed the stage he stood on, but it was his aura was even bigger. The way he was having fun up there reached every single person in that bar. By the end of the song, everyone in attendance was singing along to the chorus with him.

When Steve came to the last verse, Bucky, Alex, and Natasha had joined him on stage. Steve sang the main part of the chorus while the other three echoed - and he even tried to hit the high notes (which made Tony wince and chug the rest of his drink):

_DON'T WANNA HEAR YOU SAY!_

_Ain't nothing but a heartache_

_Ain't nothing but a mistake_  
_(Don't wanna hear you say)_

_I never wanna hear you saaaaay_  
_I want it that waaaay_

_TELL ME WHY_

_Ain't nothing but a heartache_  
_(Tell me why!)_

_Ain't nothing but a mistake_  
_(Tell me why!)_

_I never wanna hear you saaaay_  
_I want it that way..._

The music slowed to its dramatic finish, and Steve stepped up to the front of the stage:

_"Cause I...want it...that way."_

The music ended, and the bar was on its feet. From behind, Bucky wrapped his arms around him in a hug while Alex and Nat got the applause to grow even louder around the bar.

Even the DJ was laughing, unable to control himself long enough to make his announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Captain America!"

As Steve, Bucky, Alex, and Nat all filed down off the stage, Steve was met with hugs and cheers from everyone in his group. It was more of reception than he anticipated, but having several beers in his system helped him feel a lot less embarrassed than he might have normally.

As the crowd eventually settled and the Avengers decided to end on that particular high note, Bucky slung an arm around Alex's shoulders and looked at Steve. "Everyone's about ready to head out" he told them. "Guess you were the grand finale."

"As he should be," Alex noted with a grin.

Bucky threw his other arm around Steve's shoulders, half-hugging the two people he loved most in life.

In response, Steve eyed Bucky playfully. "So would you say this makes up for our night out in DC that got cut short?"

Alex snorted. "MORE than makes up for it, Cap."

"I agree." Bucky leaned in and placed a kiss to Alex's temple. "Way better music. Way better location. Way better people."

Steve lifted his head and smiled. "Mission accomplished, then."

* * *

**The End!**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So I HAD to end on a happy note and give Steve, Bucky, and Alexis their fun night out that they were deprived of thanks to Kovalenko and her ambush. ****Thanks to ALL of you for the continuous love and support!**

**PS: Who can't get that Backstreet Boys song out of their head now? Thanks a lot, Rogers. ;)**

**-Winter**


End file.
